Basque regional election, 1990

Electoral system

The Basque Parliament was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of the Basque Country, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Basque Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a Lehendakari.^[1] Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Basque Country and in full enjoyment of their political rights.

The 75 members of the Basque Parliament were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 5 percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots, as introduced under the 1990 electoral law—being applied in each constituency. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Guipúzcoa. Each constituency was allocated a fixed number of 25 seats each, to provide for an equal representation of the three provinces in Parliament as required under the regional Statute of Autonomy.^[1][2] This meant that Álava was allocated the same number of seats as Biscay and Gipuzkoa, despite their populations being, as of 1 July 1990: 272,282, 1,160,364 and 679,076, respectively.^[3]

The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure the signature of at least 1 percent of the electors registered in the constituency for which they sought election. Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election being called.^[2][4][5]

Election date

The term of the Basque Parliament expired four years after the date of its previous election, unless it was dissolved earlier. The election Decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country, with election day taking place between the fifty-fourth and the sixtieth day from publication. The previous election was held on 30 November 1986, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 30 November 1990. The election Decree was required to be published no later than 23 November 1993, with the election taking place up to the sixtieth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Saturday, 5 January 1991.^[1][2]

The Lehendakari had the prerogative to dissolve the Basque Parliament at any given time and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a Lehendakari within a sixty-day period from the Parliament re-assembly, the Parliament was to be dissolved and a fresh election called.^[6]

Overall

← Summary of the 28 October 1990 Basque Parliament election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)	289,701	28.28	+4.68	22	+5
	Socialist Party of the Basque Country (PSE–PSOE)	202,736	19.79	–2.16	16	–3
	Popular Unity (HB)	186,410	18.20	+0.80	13	±0
	Basque Solidarity (EA)	115,703	11.30	–4.47	9	–4
	People's Party (PP)1	83,719	8.17	+3.33	6	+4
	Basque Country Left (EE)	79,105	7.72	–3.11	6	–3
	United Left (IU/EB)	14,440	1.41	+0.82	0	±0
	Alavese Unity (UA)	14,351	1.40	New	3	+3
	Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)	6,680	0.65	–2.87	0	–2
	Socialist Democracy (DS)	5,023	0.49	New	0	±0
	The Ecologist Greens (LVE)	4,304	0.42	New	0	±0
	Ruiz-Mateos Group–European Democratic Alliance (ARM–ADE)	4,303	0.42	New	0	±0
	Basque Country Greens (EHB)	4,199	0.41	New	0	±0
	Workers' Socialist Party (PST)	3,010	0.29	+0.04	0	±0
	Humanist Party (PH)	825	0.08	–0.04	0	±0
	Revolutionary Communist League–Communist Movement (LKI–EMK)	670	0.07	New	0	±0
	Alliance for the Republic (AxR)2	669	0.07	–0.03	0	±0
	Communist Party of the Basque Country People (PCPE/EHAC)	599	0.06	New	0	±0
	Communist Party of Spain (Marxist–Leninist) (PCE (m–l))3	272	0.03	–0.07	0	±0
Blank ballots		7,580	0.74	+0.30
Total		1,024,299			75	±0
Valid votes		1,024,299	99.50	+0.09
Invalid votes		5,158	0.50	–0.09
Votes cast / turnout		1,029,457	60.99	–8.63
Abstentions		658,479	39.01	+8.63
Registered voters		1,687,936
Sources[7][8]
Footnotes: 1 People's Party results are compared to People's Alliance–Liberal Party totals in the 1986 election. 2 Alliance for the Republic results are compared to Internationalist Socialist Workers' Party totals in the 1986 election. 3 Communist Party of Spain (Marxist–Leninist) results are compared to Republican Popular Unity totals in the 1986 election.

Distribution by constituency

Investiture vote

First round: 31 January 1991
Absolute majority (38/75) required

Choice		Vote
		Parties	Votes
	NJosé Antonio Ardanza	PNV (22), EA (9), EE (6)	37 / 75
	Blank ballots	PSE (16), PP (6), UA (3)	25 / 75
Absences: HB (13)
Source: historiaelectoral.com

Second round: 1 February 1991
Simple majority required

Choice		Vote
		Parties	Votes
	YJosé Antonio Ardanza	PNV (22), EA (9), EE (6)	37 / 75
	Blank ballots	PSE (16), PP (6), UA (3)	25 / 75
Absences: HB (13)
Source: historiaelectoral.com