If the excessive time spent casting and recounting votes has exceeded all expectations, the final election result has been even more surprising. And although almost all the forecasts favored the Promoting Platform's slate, almost no one expected the victory to be so overwhelming and so forceful. Of the 40 members at stake, who will make up the future plenary session of the Chamber of Commerce, the Platform has won 37, with Entrepreneurs for Lanzarote obtaining only 3.
Juan Guerra, candidate of the latter list, stated that their mistake may have been a "lack of experience" that has taken its toll. "The candidates of the other slate had already been doing this for four years, and we have paid the price for being newbies," said the businessman.
However, and despite the overwhelming figures, not all moments have been pleasant for the Promoting Platform during the more than ten hours that the count has lasted. Upon reaching the scrutiny of group 12, and when Entrepreneurs for Lanzarote had not even added a member yet, the winning slate experienced its most bitter moment. The president of the table decided to annul a total of 173 votes, considering them irregular due to formal defects.
Despite the protests of the Promoting Platform, which alleges that these are simple "printing errors", the decision has been irrevocable, and represents a hard blow for this list. And it is that in that group of members were businessmen like Eduardo Spínola, who was precisely one of those who was rumored as a possible candidate of his slate to preside over the Chamber.
After the annulment of those votes, and given that Entrepreneurs for Lanzarote only presented three candidates to that group (of the four that were at stake), the fourth "place" has fallen to the Promoting Platform, but with a three-way tie between three of its candidates. Specifically, Spínola himself, Victoriano Elvira and Pedro Sánchez.
In the midst of the stir originated in the plenary hall of the Cabildo, where the entire electoral process has been carried out, the possibility began to be considered that the other two businessmen renounce, so that Spínola could occupy that position in the plenary of the Chamber.
With respect to Entrepreneurs for Lanzarote, well-known faces have also been left behind, such as those of Juan Francisco Rosa, Luis Rivero, Rafael Lasso and Francisco Armas, who have not been elected. And it is that the only three representatives that this list will have are precisely those obtained in group 12, corresponding to restaurants and auxiliary services.
THE 40 ELECTED MEMBERS
FROM GROUP 1 (car rental/travel agencies)
José Torres (Viajes Alegranza)
FROM GROUP 2 (Commerce and various services)
Blas Brito (Bricej) ; Domingo Rodríguez (Comercial Rodber) ; Juan Ramón Martín (Muebles Milano) ; Honorio N. García-Bravo (Prefabricados Playa Honda) ; Eugenio Hernández (Eugenio Hernández Cabrera) ; Juan Jesús Rosa (Viguetas Lanzarote) ; Jesús Fernández(Mayoristas Canarias) and Alberto Morales(Almacenes Juanalberto)
FROM GROUP 3 (Textile, leather and footwear trade)
Fernando Becerra (Vallesiete)
FROM GROUP 4 (Construction)
José Luis Betancort(Torres) ; Manuel Hernández (Yuco) ; Manuel Hernández(Construcciones Guanapay) and Rafael Martinón(Hormilansa)
FROM GROUP 5 (Hotel and extra-hotel exploitation)
Antonio Cruz(Pentatours) ; Francisco Martínez (Los Zocos) ; Miguel Cámara (Serytur) and Neftalí Acosta (Mega 5)
FROM GROUP 6 (Food industry)
Cándido Armas (Carnes y Embutidos Chacón)
FROM GROUP 7 (Various industries)
Juan José Pacheco (Reprocolor Lanzarote)
FROM GROUP 8 (Metal)
Carmelo Fierro (Explora) ; José Manuel Rodríguez (CUMI 2000) and Tomás Hernández (Inoxnaval Lanzarote)
FROM GROUP 9 (Food and beverage/wholesalers)
José Manuel Ojeda (Distribuciones Guanche)
FROM GROUP 10 (Food and beverage/retailers)
Ismael Villalba (Panificadora Hermanos Pacheco)
FROM GROUP 11 (Chemical products and fuels)
Ricardo Martín (ESTACANSE S.L.)
FROM GROUP 12 (Restaurant services and auxiliary services)
José Alberto González (JOCALEPE)
Juan Jorge Romero (self-employed)
Miguel Ángel Armas (ARDA LANZA SL)
*The position of the fourth member will be occupied by Victoriano Elvira (Explotaciones Turísticas Vifrán), Pedro Sánchez (HOSTESANGO SL) or Eduardo Spínola (Multicines Atlántida), since there has been a three-way tie between them.
FROM GROUP 13 (Social services, technical advice)
Manuel Poyato (Asesoría Laboral M. Poyato); Santiago Díaz (Fisioterapia Lanzarote) and Federico Toledo (Toledo y González Abogados SL)
FROM GROUP 14 (Unspecified services)
Eugenio Romero (División Linial SL) ; Miguel Tolosa (Tolac inversiones) ; Gerardo Quintana (Gerardo Quintana González) and Mario Alberto Perdomo (Elguilán Lanzarote)
GROUP 15 (Ports)
Orlando San Luis (Sancargo)
GROUP 16 (Transport)
Sebastián Manuel García Berriel (taxi driver) and Juan Damián Brito (Lanztransport)
