GOLF DECREE APPROVED

The Junta de Andalucia has approved the long awaited Golf Decree which bans the use of drinking water for irrigating on golf courses in the region. Only recycled water can be used. The Decree will become law next month after its publication in the Official Bulletin, and existing courses will have two years to bring their facilities in line with the new regulations. The decree also puts a stop to projects that link housing developments to golf courses, unless the course is seen to be of tourist interest. In that case, a technical commission would have to approve the project which would then go to the regional government for final approval. Los Verdes (Greens) party condemned the exception, saying it “leaves the cat flap open” for unsustainable property speculation. To stress their point, they gave Junta de Andalucia president Manuel Chaves a mini-golf set so that he could play golf at home un his garden “without turning Andalucia into one massive green”, a party spokesman said.

KEEP MY FACE

While the two main parties – the Socialists (PSOE) and the Partido Popular (PP) – continue to make promises and hurl insults at each other in the run-up to the general election on March 9th, the movers and shakers in Andalucia’s regional election, to be held the same day, are coming up with more of the same. With one exception, which is a relatively new party, Ciudadanos (Citizens), which was founded for the last regional elections in Catalonia as a counterweight to the Catalan nationalist parties. For reasons unexplained, Ciudadanos is running a candidate in Malaga for the Junta de Andalucia. Last Friday, supporters of Antonio Venceslá, took the centre of Malaga city by storm handing out cardboard cut-outs bearing a photo their candidate’s face – “so that they will get to know him”. In the photo, Sr Venceslá says: “Keep my face”. It remains to be seen how many votes this unusual election propaganda will drum up for Ciudadanos.

RACE FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN

There is a great deal on UK television at the moment about the “Race for Life” campaign, as there are many ex-pats in the Coin area, is there any one organising a similar event over here?
 
Elizabeth Streeton
streetonscoin@yahoo.com