• PSOE-led council says despite low turnout it will respect vote, ban bullfights •
The PSOE-led muncipal council of the Madrid suburb of Coslada says it will respect a majority vote by local citizens against bullfighting festivals in a referendum last week, despite a low voter turnout that was blamed by anti-bullfighting activists on insufficient publicity and scant prior notification of voters about the balloting.
With just 2,211 votes cast among an eligible voting population of 76,000, Coslada citizens voted 1,347 against bullfighting by responding “yes” to the question “Do you agree that the City of Coslada should stop holding all types of bullfighting festivals in the community?” The opposition Somos Coslada (“We are Coslada”) coalition claimed the vote as a victory, while alleging the low turnout was the result of a deliberate strategy by the PSOE-led muncipality to under-publicize the seven-day referendum in the hope that pro-bullfighting voters would predominate.
Local PSOE councilors have said they will respect the outcome of the vote and drop all subsidies for bullfighting events, while Somos Coslada says it will hold the PSOE to its word, remaining vigilant to see that no public monies go to subsidize bullfighting in the community.
► Read More in Spanish at El Mundo and Europa Press …
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