Manuel Chaves has resigned as President of the Junta de Andalucía, a post he has held for 19 years since being elected for the first time in 1990. The move is to enable him to take up a position in the national Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
Chaves will become third vice-president in the Central Government and Minister for Territorial Cooperation. Until a new president is elected, Gaspar Zarrías will take over control of the Junta de Andalucía.