euskalkultura.eus

Fifteen voted in favor of the only list of candidates presented at the latest FEVA elections held at the General Ordinary Assembly last April 22nd.  Just sixteen Basque clubs attended out of 60 with right to vote. They were electing two vicepresidents, and a number of directors and other members of the Board of the Basque-Argentine Federation of Basque Institutons (FEVA).  After the assembly Basque club representatives welcomed Sara Pagola, Delegate of Euskadi in Argentina and Mercosur.

Buenos Aires, Argentina.  FEVA’s General Assembly was held on April 22nd at the Laurak Bat Basque Club in Buenos Aires.  With a low turnout of only 16 clubs in attendance of the 60 active clubs continuing a trend in recent years, the list of candidates was passed with only 15 votes (with one being left blank).

The elected positions are the following:

-Vice-President 1: Juan José Olasagastia, Two-year term.
-Vice-President 2: María Aranzazu Anitua, Two-year term.

-Director: Asier Iriberri Plazaola; alternate, Ignacio Javier Oreja. Denak Bat Basque Club, Mar del Plata. Two-year term.
-Vocal titular: Damián Cebey; alternate, Juan Carlos Tisera. Euzkal Etxea Basque Club, San Nicolás. Two-year term.
-Vocal titular: Gerardo Bautista Echeverria; alternate, Darío Zumendi. Euzko Etxea Basque Club, Villa María. Two-year term.
-Vocal titular: Pablo Martín Pavesa; alternate: Yesica Garmendia. Guillermo Larregui Basque Club, Chacabuco. Two-year term.

-Auditor: Alicia Aguirre, Denak Bat Basque Club, Mendoza. Term, one year.
-Auditor: Elba Lydia Mocoroa, Gerora Basque Club. Córdoba. Term, one year.
-Auditor: Ana Victoria Idígoras, Euskaldunak Denak Bat Basque Club, Arrecifes. Term, one year.

-Honor Court: Xabier Olaizola (Buenos Aires), Felipe Ernesto Muguerza (Necochea), Carlos Sosa (Bahía Blanca). Two-year term.
-Alternate Honor Court: María Luz Arteche (Arrecifes), Juan Pedro de Erquiaga (Buenos Aires), Miguel Julián Ezquerro (Buenos Aires) Two-year term.

(we are using here the official names provided by FEVA)

After the Assembly and the election, members of the Federation led by Hugo Andiazabal took advantage of the gathering to talk about the reality of the clubs.  They also welcomed a visit by Delegate of Euskadi in Argentina, Sara Pagola who they also talk to about issues of mutual interest.

Low Turnout on Several Levels

In a conversation with EuskalKultura.com, one of the reelected vice-presidents, Arantxa Anitua, expressed that low turnout is something that has become more common over the last few years, mainly when the president isn’t being elected.  “This is something that we have also noticed in the last elections.  Clearly there is better attendance at the meeting during Semana Vasca.  Even club representatives commented that the same happens at their elections having noticed lower turnout there too when there is only one list of candidates presented.”

“If we look around, we can see that the same is happening in the country, there is very low voter turnout…it seems that we are forgetting what it was like when we couldn’t vote…” Anitua, also Laurak Bat’s president commented.