Politics Coalition for Melilla: origin and ideology of the party suspected of fraud in voting by mail

The investigation into the purchase of votes by mail in Melilla has led the National Police to carry out a dozen arrests and several searches that place the Coalición por Melilla (CpM) at the center of the investigations

Politics Coalition for Melilla: origin and ideology of the party suspected of fraud in voting by mail

The investigation into the purchase of votes by mail in Melilla has led the National Police to carry out a dozen arrests and several searches that place the Coalición por Melilla (CpM) at the center of the investigations.

The plot of electoral fraud, bribery and theft in voting by mail, revealed with a few days to go before the 28M elections, has aroused interest in this formation, whose low national projection contrasts with its strength in the political life of the autonomous city Spanish from North Africa. Who is behind the Coalition for Melilla? What is your origin and ideology?

CpM presents itself as a "progressive, localist party, without ties or national guidelines and with a vocation for public service." The formation was created in 1995 by former members of the PSOE, most of them Muslims, unhappy with the management of the socialist party.

From its birth and to date, the leader of the Coalition for Melilla is Mustafa Aberchán, a surgeon whose political origins are very close to Izquierda Unida.

This formation of a Muslim orientation, of the left and in favor of strengthening relations with Morocco has had an intense trajectory. Recently formed, CpM obtained its first seats after the regional elections, being the third party with the most representation (three).

In the following elections, in 1999, Mustafa Aberchán became the first Muslim president in Spain, thanks to the support of the PSOE and the GIL (Independent Liberal Group, founded by Jesús Gil). The alliance barely lasted a few months, since a motion of censure promoted by the PP and PSOE removed Aberchán from the presidency of the city.

Already in 2019, Coalition for Melilla returned to the government, this time forming a tripartite with PSOE and Ciudadanos, being the second most voted formation.

In 2021, the Supreme Court sentenced Mustafá Aberchán to two years in prison and 30 months of disqualification for running a vote-by-mail purchase network for the 2008 Senate elections.

Disabled, the president of the Coalición por Melilla has not been able to join his party's candidacy for 28M, with Dunia Almansouri occupying the first place on the party's list.

According to the surveys, CpM and PP were disputing the victory of Melilla this May 28, at least until the alarms went off in the autonomous city when it was detected that more than 21% of the census of the autonomous city had requested to vote by mail, a percentage unusual and that unleashes suspicions.

Among the people arrested is the counselor of the Coalition for Melilla (CPM) and number three of the party, Mohamed Ahmed Al Lal and Abdel-ilah Nourdine Ahmed, son-in-law of Mustafa Aberchán.

In 2022, CpM became part of the progressive alliance known as the Turia Agreement, made up of Más País, Compromís, Verdes Equo, Més per Mallorca, Proyecto Drago, Movimiento por la Dignidad y la Ciudadanía de Ceuta and the Chunta Aragonesista. In fact, just a few months ago, the Aberchán formation was at the proclamation act of Yolanda Díaz as leader of Sumar and candidate for the presidency of the Government.

For now, the Coalition for Melilla is preventively detached from the progressive alliance until the alleged case of buying votes by mail is clarified.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project