Welcome to C.L.A.R.O - THE Best Hope for Orihuela Costa

C.L.A.R.O is an independent political party formed in June, 2006 and officially registered in September that year by a group of  men and women from Orihuela Costa who were fed up with the over-development of our area and the shameful lack of services, infrastructure and parks and gardens provided for residents by Orihuela Town Hall. Dialogue with the Town Hall had been tried unsuccessfully and we were finally convinced that the only way we could secure the improvements which were so desperately needed was to form an independent political party, contest local elections and seek representation in the local government of Orihuela.

C.L.A.R.O is a broadly based party with members coming from all the main population groups living in Orihuela Costa.   Our 7 member Executive Committee are British, Spanish German speaking and Norwegian members.   We are non-ideological, neither of the left nor the right.   We are united by a desire to improve our quality of life and to make Orihuela Costa a CLEANER, GREENER, MORE INTEGRATED AND FRIENDLY place to live.

C.L.A.R.O has been remarkably successful.   In the local election of 2007, contested only 8 months after registering as a political party, C.L.A.R.O secured 40% of the vote in Orihuela Costa, more than the two main parties, the Popular Party and the Socialist Party together.   We did not, however, succeed in electing a councillor since the election laws are difficult for small parties, requiring 5% of the total vote to elect a first councillor.   

In 2011, C.L.A.R.O contested the local election in an electoral alliance with the Centro Liberal Renovador Party (CLR).   The alliance was a success and four of its members were elected including the President of C.L.A.R.O, Bob Houliston.   The outcome of the election was that the Popular Party lost its majority for the first time in 25 years and a three-party coalition government was formed, consisting of the Socialist Party, the Greens and CLR-CLARO.  Bob Houliston was appointed Councillor for the Coast.

The dream result of the 2011 election with the defeat of the Popular Party, a change of government and appointment of Bob Houliston as Councillor for the Coast was unfortunately quickly followed by harsh reality.   The CLR leader, Pedro Mancebo, conducted a systematic campaign against the C.L.A.R.O team in the Playa Flamenca office of the Town Hall, seeking to reduce the responsibilities of the Councillor for the Coast and to establish a parallel administration.   Moreover, he sought to divide C.L.A.R.O prior to its Annual General Meeting in Novemeber, 2011.   This totally unexpected conflict. between the two parties in the successful electoral alliance was motivated by the desire of CLR to take over the running of the coast and to weaken C.L.A.R.O as the majority party of Orihuela Costa in order to pursue its own political ambitions.   Unfortunately, there are other political strains within what became a four party coalition government after C.L.A.R.O was excluded by CLR from the political group CLR-CLARO.

Despite these unwelcome political developments, the C.L.A.R.O team in the Playa Flamenco Town Hall is doing its best to clean up the coast, remove litter from the streets and offensive poster sticking from public structures such as the pedestrian bridges crossing the N332.   The real test of the success of the new government for C.L.A.R.O and Orihuela Costa will come in the decisions on the budget for 2012 approval for which was delayed in December, 2011 due to the inadequate amounts foreseen for Orihuela Costa. 

WHAT DO WE WANT?

What we want is set out in our original programme of 2007 and the joint election manifesto on which C.L.A.R.O contested the local election in May, 2011 with CLR - see Manifesto.

• To CONTINUE to elect councillors from Orihuela Costa to the Orihuela Municipal Council.
• To prevent a return of the uncontrolled building which has resulted in insufficient services, inadequate infrastructure and has endangered the Environment of the coast.
• To end the neglect of Orihuela Costa by insisting on the use of our taxes to pay for our infrastructure and service needs - although the coast constitutes 30% of the population of Orihuela and probably provides 50% of the revenue from local taxes, historically only a small part of the budget is devoted to the coast.
• Greater security for people and property, in particular more policemen.
• More and better health facilities.
• Cleaner streets.
• A properly functioning sewage system to prevent sewage spilling on to our streets.
• Well maintained parks and gardens.
• More and better schools for our children.
• Better public transport.
• Proper Civic and Social facilities, including an auditorium and library.
• Preventing the destruction of CALA MOSCA, the last natural green area on the Orihuela coast.
• More services administered directly in the Playa Flamenca office of the Town Hall with a friendly and efficient, multi-lingual staff, able to deal with the administrative problems faced by local residents.