José Luis Olivas, former President of the State General, died on Saturday at the age of 73. The Popular Party politician, who previously served in the now-extinct UCD (Unión de Centro Democracia), led the Valencian government between June 2002 and July 2003, in the short transition between Eduardo Zaplana’s march to the Ministry of Labor in the central executive headed by José María Aznar, and the government. Francisco Campes’ successor at the Palau de la Generalitat. He was the third president of the Autonomy of Valencia, after Juan Lerma and Eduardo Zablana. There was a death after a long illness, as a PP source confirmed to this periodical. The general government expressed its condolences.
Born in the municipality of Motilla del Palancre, he has been away from politics for decades. After his departure from the Valencian government, Olivas was appointed President of Bancaja and later Vice-President of Bancaja. Furthermore, he headed Valencia Bank until 2011.
Until the coordination of the General State Command, Olivas served as First Vice President with Zablana between 1999 and 2002. He was previously an economics and Hacienda advisor. He spent his political career in Valencia, where he held important positions from the beginning of the twentieth century until the beginning of the twenty-first century.
He graduated in law, co-founded the UCD in Valencia and in December 1981 was appointed Director General of the Presupuestos de la Consejería de Economía and the Hacienda de la Generalitat. Luigo joined the People’s Party and worked as a councilor in Ayuntamiento Valencia between 1987 and 1991. In 1995, he returned to independent politics and was elected deputy of the Valencian Cortes, and was appointed a month later, after the inauguration of Eduardo Zaplana as state president and advisor for the economy and the Hacienda.