There have been no surprises. The motion of censure against the PSOE in the Arrecife City Council has passed. In a crowded plenary hall divided between boos of "down with corruption" and applause for the censors, the popular Cándido Reguera has been proclaimed mayor of Arrecife.
The motion of censure that has removed Enrique Pérez Parrilla from the mayor's office has passed with the votes in favor of the PP, PNL and PIL, which will form the new government group, the abstention of the Canarian Coalition and the vote against of Citizen Alternative and the PSOE. A total of 13 councilors, including those of the PIL José Miguel Rodríguez and Ubaldo Becerra, out of a total of 25 that make up the municipal corporation, have given their yes to the motion that has made Reguera mayor.
Marked by tension, the motion of censure began two minutes after 12 noon and lasted for more than an hour and a half. Many eyes were on the councilors José Miguel Rodríguez and Ubaldo Becerra, who are not only accused in Operation "Unión", but have also confessed before the investigating judge, César Romero Pamparacuatro, that they have charged commissions to businessmen while exercising their position.
While part of the audience at the plenary session shouted "down with corruption", when these two councilors were named, another part of those who have attended the plenary session tried to extinguish these criticisms with applause. Thus, both the censors and the councilors of the PSOE have been received in the plenary session with applause, evidencing how divided the citizens who have attended the act were.
"Glass" walls
After the vote, the new mayor, Cándido Reguera, read a speech (in his first turn of speech he did not want to speak), in which he assured that "the walls of the City Council are going to be made of glass". Likewise, he insisted that the hiring and all the actions of the Consistory will be monitored.
In addition to thanking the support of his party, the councilors who have given the yes to the motion of censure and the citizens, Reguera has stated that these councilors "have been responsible" with this decision and "will work intensely for Arrecife". "Taking the reins of the City Council at this time is not easy at all. It would have been easier to have remained in the opposition, letting the PSOE be consumed and waiting for the next elections," he said.
With this motion so questioned because it has gone ahead thanks to the support of two PIL councilors accused in this alleged case of urban corruption, the first words of the new mayor have been clear: "This City Council from now on will have glass walls. I promise to implement a rigorous control of all the purchase mechanisms, all the political groups of this City Council will be present in the Contracting Board", he pointed out.
Reguera has also stated that the opposition will have information about everything that happens in the Consistory. This phrase has caused a small stir among the attendees, one of whom raised his voice to ask if they will also receive documentation "from the briefcases".
"Rise to the occasion"
According to the new mayor, politicians "have to be there in good times and bad" and, on a day like this, "they must rise to the occasion". "It is not easy to govern when things are going very badly, when there is a rampant economic crisis, and a political crisis not only in Arrecife but in Lanzarote", he has evidenced.
"I say to my fellow travelers: This is the moment, the opportunity to begin slowly to change things, the opportunity for citizens to regain confidence. It depends on you, not on what they say about us, nor on what the opposition says. It depends on what we do. We have the helm now and that is our responsibility", stressed the newly proclaimed first mayor.
Cándido Reguera has had special words for two of the councilors who will be part of the government group that he has to lead. Thus, he has referred to Pedro de Armas (PNL), who will become the new Councilor for Urban Planning, and has stated that "he has a difficult and complex task". "The General Plan that comes out of here will be that of all the people of Arrecife. He will have all my trust and my support", he indicated. In the same sense, he has named the PIL councilor Emilia Perdomo, who will again manage the Department of Social Services. "It is a key area in times of crisis, you will have to give the answer to the families who are having a bad time", he added.
As a first measure, Cándido Reguera has called an extraordinary and urgent plenary session for this Tuesday in order to lower the IBI. This point has been greatly applauded by the attendees.
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[Pérez Parrilla: "There are those who believe that they can continue splashing in the mud indefinitely"->34568]
[Luis Morales: "Reguera will be the mayor appointed with the most investigated shadows in the history of democracy"->34592]
[Ginés Quintana: "Reguera uses accused councilors to achieve his ambition"->34594]
[The motion of censure, in videos->34593]