NOT ALL ELECTION CAMPAINGNS ARE STRIDENT

Not everyone in Spain will be deafened by the political parties' loudly broadcast propaganda this week. In some small towns in Andalucia there is hardly any indication that the elections are going on. In Parauto in the Ronda mountains, it's almost impossible to find its Socialist mayor, Carmen Jimenez. She's a teacher who is constantly on the move from one small school to the other, and the only other member of the council is her aunt. There are no election posters because eligible voters in the town's population 236 intend to re-elect them both. In Atajate (pop. 167) and Júzcar (185), both located in the Ronda mountains, the voting system is entirely different and much simpler. Each political party is allowed to put forward five names and voters will put their crosses against the five names of their choice, irregardless of political party, next Sunday. The five people with the most crosses will then form the municipal council. Would it were that simple in the rest of Andalucia.