There is just over a week left until the last date to present the electoral lists in view of the municipal elections in the Apulian capital. In fact, the candidates in the field have until May 7th to complete the lists and officially submit them before the consultations on June 8th and 9th.
Despite the tight deadlines, there are still many puzzles to be solved. If the various parties have announced the first names in the running, almost all sides are experiencing many difficulties in the composition of the civic lists. It is not clear whether due to a lack of “service” candidates, or due to a more careful selection of names, also in light of the recent judicial scandals that have hit Bari politics. In any case, to present the electoral lists it is necessary that these are signed by a certain number of citizens who meet the requirements. For the Municipality of Bari the number of list presenters must be at least 350 people. Furthermore, according to the law, each list must include a number of candidates not exceeding the number of councilors to be elected in the municipality and not less than two thirds. For Bari, the minimum number of candidates on the list is 24, and the maximum is 36.
The alignments of the three candidates in the field, Vito Leccese and Michele Laforgia for the centre-left and Fabio Romito for the centre-right coalition, continue to work and the voters of Bari will have to disentangle themselves for the moment between around twenty lists. The largest number is made up of those who support Vito Leccese, at least eight. Among these are those of the Democratic Party, the Greens and Progetto Bari, plus a civic one with the name of the mayoral candidate and two others that would refer to the outgoing mayor Antonio Decaro. The lists of Noi Popolari and Puglia Favorevole were also confirmed. Social Democrats and Carlo Calenda’s centrist Action party are in the balance.
It is not yet clear, however, the number of lists that should support Michele Laforgia’s candidacy, at least 5. Among these two civic lists, the one with the name of the candidate, the 5 Star Movement and the Italian Left, which dissolved its reservation in recent hours and confirmed his support for the criminal lawyer from Bari. The Vendola supporters will hold a press conference this week to explain the reasons for the choice.
In the center-right camp, for the moment there are at least five safe lists that will support the Northern League member Fabio Romito: Fratelli d’Italia, Forza Italia, UDC, Noi Moderati and Nuovo Psi-Liberali e Riformisti, to which should be added three civic lists, one of which were developed by Romito himself and another, civic, built by Fratelli d’Italia.
