ats ▁left ▁wing . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁under ground ▁Democratic ▁Con ver gence ▁Platform , ▁which ▁gathered ▁a ▁wide ▁array ▁of ▁anti - Fran co ist ▁organizations , ▁including ▁Social ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁Commun ists . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁Christian ▁Dem ocracy ▁had ▁very ▁little ▁option ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁dem ocr atic ▁elections ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁as ▁its ▁political ▁room ▁was ▁occupied ▁mainly ▁by ▁the ▁Su á rez ' s ▁U CD . ▁Ru iz - G im é nez ' s ▁Democratic ▁Left ▁joined ▁the ▁Christian ▁Democratic ▁Federation ▁coal ition , ▁that ▁dissol ved ▁after ▁its ▁me ager ▁ 1 ▁per ▁cent ▁of ▁the ▁ball ots . ▁ ▁First ▁Spanish ▁O mb ud s man ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁the ▁political ▁fore front , ▁Ru iz - G im é nez ▁was ▁appointed ▁O mb ud s man , ▁the ▁first ▁one ▁in ▁holding ▁this ▁office ▁in ▁Spain ▁( 1 9 8 2 - 1 9 8 7 ). ▁During ▁his ▁later ▁years , ▁he ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁great ▁prest ige ▁among ▁both ▁left ▁and ▁right . ▁He ▁involved ▁in ▁several ▁human itar ian ▁and ▁human - right s ▁N GO s , ▁pres ided ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Committee ▁of ▁UN ICE F ▁( 1 9 8 9 - 2 0 0 1 ), ▁vice - pres ided ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Commission ▁of ▁Rel ief ▁to ▁Ref uge es , ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁awarded ▁and ▁decor ated ▁several ▁times ▁for ▁his