CUP- Capgirem Barcelona started a process of primary elections in Gràcia which will end this Tuesday and Wednesday with the election of five persons (three women and two men), who will enter in the final open primaries on February 28th as part of the 4th Municipal Popular Meeting (TPM). There will also be elected two persons (a woman and a man) for being the representatives of the project in the district.

For the first time in Gràcia a candidature holds open primaries. In this case, to choose the persons that will represent the project that started at the Municipal Popular Meetings. Although is a collective project which avoid individualism, it’s a way of democratizing the classic allocation of councilors.

The direct election of the District Council has been a long-standing demand of the local movement in Barcelona and Gràcia. Now, we move from paper to action.

The candidates that the whole neighborhood of Gràcia can vote have emerged form an open process started at The Open Assembly of February 6 in La Torna, which has been extended until Saturday 14. Therefore, it has also been avoided a vote with pre-established proposals, as anyone could have joined.

Methodology

- Every Gràcia neighbor age 16 and above can exercise their vote, prior identification with the ID or the municipal register. Paperless persons can also participate in the vote. There will be a census to avoid double vote over different districts.

- There has to be granted 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively to the 5 candidates for Barcelona. There has to be granted 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively to the 5 candidates for Gràcia.

- The counting of votes will take place on Wednesday at 22h at La Torna. The results for Gràcia will be published the next day.

Tuesday the vote will be held at the Vila de Gràcia Independence Athenaeum – La Barraueta, from 18h to 22h at Plaça del Raspall and Wednesday at the Popular and Independence Athenaeum – La Rotna, from 19h to 22h, at 37th Sant Pere Martir Street.

The candidates

For Barcelona:

M. José Lecha. Health worker at Sant Pau Hospital. FTC-IAC activist.

Maria Rovira. Linked to the youth movement of Barcelona at CAJEI and Arran. Spokesman for the Municipal Popular Meeting

Òscar Simón. Anticapitalist activist, interim professor and member of the yellow assembly.

Josep Garganté. TMB bus driver and and labor activist at COS.

David Caño.Poet and schoolteacher in Sants. Member of USTEC.STEs (IAC). Co-promoter of Crida Constituent.

Isabel Chacón. Public health activist and coordinator of the Municipal Popular Meeting program’s priorities.

For the district:

M. Antònia Arnau. Neighbor of Camp d’en Grassot and member of Marea Pensionista de Gràcia. Member of the Bolivarian Assembly of Barcelona and Ithaca, an internationalist organization.

Ernest Gutiérrez. Neighbor of Vila de Gràcia. Member of Popular and Independence Athenaeum – La Torna and of the Multireferèndum promoter commission. Participant of the ethical code committee of the Municipal Popular Meeting.

Quim Serra. Neighbor of Camp d’en Grassot. Student. Participated in “Where are you going Gràcia?” and co-founder of the Youth Assembly of Camp d’en Grassot.

Ramon Ortiz. Neighbor of Vila de Gràcia. Member of Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia and of the commission Fest Major del Carrer Progrés.

Isa Garnika. Neighbor of Vila de Gràcia and member of Marea Pensionista de Gràcia. Militant of Endavant and CGT. Public health worker.