José Montelongo has officially ceased to be the mayor and councilor of Arrecife. The City Council Plenary has taken note of his resignation this Thursday, in an extraordinary and urgent session. That plenary, which has barely lasted half an hour, has been marked by a common criticism among the opposition groups that have intervened. Ciudadanos, Somos Lanzarote and Ganemos have reproached the former mayor for leaving without "giving explanations" to the councilors about his indictment in two parts of the Montecarlo case. For his part, the socialist spokesperson, Zebensui Rodríguez, has accused them of "lack of humanity" and has described Montelongo's resignation as an "example."
The session began with the first deputy mayor, Rafael Juan González, sitting in the place that José Montelongo usually occupied until now. And it is that he has not attended the plenary session that has officially put an end to his stage at the head of the Mayor's Office of the city. After the councilors voted unanimously in favor of the urgency of the session, the secretary explained the legal provisions and the procedure that follows that taking note of Montelongo's resignation. During his speech, he read the resignation letter of the former mayor, in which he stated that he had made the decision to resign "in order not to harm the Socialist Party or the city of Arrecife."
After the secretary's speech, and given that taking note does not require a vote from the councilors, González has become mayor in office for all purposes, until a second plenary votes on the investiture of Eva de Anta as mayor. A round of speeches has then been opened, which has started with the intervention of Delia Hernández, spokesperson for Ciudadanos. The councilor has begun by stating that she was glad that "all the legal burden of Montelongo's defense" was going to be left behind. For the councilor, the Consistory, whose action as a private prosecution in this case has been receiving criticism from different formations, "has neglected its obligations" with that legal strategy.
"They have denied us the possibility of questioning him"
The spokesperson for the orange formation has then reproached Montelongo for his "lack of respect for all the councilors, who were expecting explanations in the Plenary", a complaint that has also been repeated in the speeches of Leticia Padilla and Borja Rubio. "They have denied us the possibility of questioning him", Hernández has pointed out, who has accused the former mayor of having "little democratic spirit" and "little transparency."
"I expected something more, I expected José Montelongo to be here", Leticia Padilla, the spokesperson for Ganemos Arrecife, has started. The councilor has pointed out that throughout this week the councilors have had "no contact" with the former mayor, except for a "Whatsapp message." "We miss a board of spokespersons, we miss explanations", she has said. Padilla has especially emphasized the lack of explanations regarding the Consistory's action in the Montecarlo case, in which Montelongo is being investigated for embezzlement, fraud and prevarication, and in which the institution is appearing as a private prosecution. "Whose interests does it defend, those of the City Council, those of the mayor, those of the citizens? Will those explanations be given someday?", she has asked. Padilla has ended by recalling that on the day of his investiture, Montelongo "promised transparency and communication." "We already see what transparency and what communication he is providing us with."
For the spokesperson of Somos Lanzarote, Borja Rubio, the "shadow of doubt" has been "permanently" over the socialist group, because he believes that the "problem" arose "from the very moment" in which the PSOE allowed Montelongo's electoral candidacy. Like the councilors of Ciudadanos and Ganemos, Rubio has stated that "at least" the former mayor should "give explanations to the Plenary of his indictments."
Rubio has criticized that Montelongo only gave a "succinct" explanation "in a press conference", in which he believes, in addition, that he took advantage "to shoot at the legal system." He has especially emphasized that the facts for which Montelongo is being investigated are related to his positions in the Arrecife City Council. Thus, he has considered it a "lack of respect" that he has not given explanations to the councilors, emphasizing that the Plenary is the body that represents the citizens of Arrecife. Borja Rubio has concluded with a joint reproach to the parties that govern the city in pact, PSOE, PIL and CC. In his opinion, they are "directly responsible for the dramatic situation of many families", so that, although he believes that the "change of face" in the Mayor's Office is "beneficial", he has defended that more things must "change" as well.
A resignation that "sets the bar very high"
The Popular Party has been the only opposition group that has declined to use its turn to speak and has not intervened. Thus, after the intervention of Somos Lanzarote, it was the turn of the Government group. Of the three parties, only the socialist group has intervened, which has not been represented by the one who will be the mayor of the city, Eva de Anta. It has been the Councilor for Festivities, Zebensuí Rodríguez, very close to the former mayor, who has taken the floor. The councilor has begun by lamenting what he considers a "lack of humanity of some" members of the opposition.
In Rodríguez's opinion, Montelongo's resignation has been an act of "generosity, responsibility and political ethics." "While others prolong their permanence until the opening of oral trial, this socialist colleague has set an example", the councilor has defended. For Rodríguez, with this resignation "a high bar is established from now on." "I'm sorry for those who come after", he has added.
Montelongo's party colleague has defended that the former mayor "knew how to prioritize the general interest" and has stressed that he left giving "a public appearance, not with press releases." In his opinion, the "questionings" that in recent weeks various groups have made in the Plenary about Montelongo's indictment "focus on the wear and tear of a colleague", and "not on the common interest." "Let's work for Arrecife, not for our electoral interests", he has added.
Finally, Rafael Juan González has taken the floor to explain that that second plenary in which Eva de Anta will be invested as the new mayor of Arrecife must be held in a maximum of 10 business days, so the maximum period will be next May 11. He has added that they "hope" that in that time they have received from the Electoral Board the act of David Duarte, who will be the new socialist councilor, so that his taking office can be done in that same session.
Clash between Rafael Juan González and Andrés Medina
During the plenary there has been a moment of tension, starring the councilor Andrés Medina and the already mayor in office, Rafael Juan González. After the intervention of Borja Rubio, Medina has also wanted to intervene. This councilor belongs to Vecinos Unidos, but he ran in the elections and accessed the Consistory as a councilor of Somos Lanzarote. However, there was a break between both parties and since then Vecinos Unidos usually presents motions freely.
"They should agree before intervening if they are going to divide the turns to speak", González has told him, who finally allowed him to speak. Medina, however, has not referred to Montelongo's departure and has taken advantage of the 40 seconds that remained to allude to the situation of several fairground vendors of Arrecife, who he has indicated must leave the fairground by order of the City Council. González has reproached him for asking for the floor to talk about an issue that was not on the agenda and has accused him of "doing populism." "Populism no!", Medina has snapped at him. González, annoyed, has asked him not to interrupt him and has insisted that that issue, to which Delia Hernández had also alluded, was not "appropriate" in this Plenary.
