Palma's councillor for public safety, Angelica Pastor, will prohibit illegal street selling in the bylaw that regulates the use of public areas, more commonly referred to as the "botellón" law. This will be when the town hall approves the bylaw on the occupation of the public way. This also has something of a nickname - the terraces' law.
While it might be though that this should bring an end to the clash between Pastor of PSOE and Aurora Jhardi, the Podemos deputy mayor public function, Jhardi said the she didn't know about Pastor's decision.
The disagreement between the two has been a reason why it has been proving impossible to finalise and pass the terraces' bylaw. Jhardi had removed the prohibition of illegal street selling from its draft. She maintains that it shouldn't be in this bylaw. "It doesn't make sense either politically or legally, as we need to consider the whole issue (of street selling) and not just its superficiality. It is a human rights' matter, and I'm not about to apply a bandage."
Pastor, though, believes that the street selling should continue to be prohibited, which is what legitimate traders want.
Yesterday's council session considered the matter, the Partido Popular having re-presented a motion that had been rejected by the town hall administration at a committee meeting last week. This was to the surprise of the PP, who had agreed with Pastor that the full council should vote to maintain the ban on illegal street selling.