Although up until the establishment of the second republic Spain was a dictatorship, there were elements of democracy within the Spanish political system. The Spanish people were allowed to vote in local (municipal) elections. The elections that took place in April 1931 showed the overwhelming support for republican parties who had come together to form the Pact of San Sebastian in August 1930. Official results of the election are not known, but King Alfonso XIII acknowledged after the vote that he "no longer enjoyed the love of [his] people." As a consequence of the election, King Alfonso was advised to flee Spain, opening the way for the establishment of a democratic republic.