The president of the Popular Party of the Canary Islands, Manuel Domínguez, responded this Wednesday to the information and criticisms that have arisen in Lanzarote following the creation of the new island management committee, and has categorically denied that his decision to replace Astrid Pérez at the head of the party is due to a confrontation between them. "I do not accept that they say Astrid Pérez and I have a bad relationship, that we have fought and confronted each other, because it is not true," he stated after the meeting of the Autonomous Executive Committee of the PP of the Canary Islands, where the new party leadership on the island was formalized.
Domínguez defended that Pérez's departure from the island presidency is the result of an agreed process between both and that it began more than a year ago, when the president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands herself conveyed her intention to leave the position after 18 years at the head of the PP of Lanzarote.
"All my gratitude for her work, but allow me to say something very important. All my gratitude to Astrid for her message of 'President, I have to leave the island presidency. It's time for us to change'," said the regional president.
As he explained, from that moment on, conversations began to determine how to carry out the replacement. The option of holding an island congress was on the table, but the political calendar and the possibility of a general election modified the plans until they finally culminated in the establishment of a management committee.
"The PP of Lanzarote is what it is thanks to Astrid Pérez"
The president of the Canary PP expressly wanted to vindicate Pérez's career and her role in the organization in Lanzarote. "The Popular Party today in Lanzarote is what it is thanks to Astrid Pérez," he assured.
Domínguez also rejected interpretations suggesting that Pérez's departure might mean her distancing herself from the party. When asked if he would continue to count on her in the future for other responsibilities, he was emphatic: "Without a doubt."
"Astrid has been an asset, she is, and she will continue to be," he stated. In this regard, he also defended her current responsibility as president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands. "Astrid is president of the Parliament because of her merit. We, the Popular Party, are extremely proud of the president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands," he pointed out. "Of course I count on Astrid for the future," he added.
Domínguez, "perplexed" by the uproar in Lanzarote
The popular leader acknowledged that the controversy generated in Lanzarote regarding the creation of the management committee has particularly surprised him, since, as he recalled, the PP of Canarias has previously resorted to this formula in other islands without similar controversies occurring.
Domínguez recalled that in recent years management committees have been created in Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, El Hierro, and La Gomera. In some cases, island congresses were subsequently held.
"At no time was there any problem, there was no noise, there were no misunderstandings, there were no biased messages," he maintained.
Therefore, he admitted to feeling "perplexed" by the uproar generated in Lanzarote. "I am the first to be surprised, the first to be angry, and the one who has been left perplexed by the amount of lies I have seen in recent days," he stated.
The president of the PP of Canarias differentiated, however, between the internal criticisms that may exist and the assertion that he maintains a personal confrontation with Pérez. "Not everyone in my house agrees with me," he pointed out to defend that disagreements can exist in a democratic party.
"What I do not accept is that they say that Astrid Pérez and I have a bad relationship," he insisted.
Tovar calls for "more unity" ahead of the elections
For her part, María Jesús Tovar defended that the PP of Lanzarote faces this new stage with unity and with an eye on the upcoming electoral processes.
"We have to go into elections more united than we are, because the Popular Party in Lanzarote is united, but even more so," she stated.
The new island official also set an ambitious goal: "We have to have the best results in history."
Tovar took advantage of her speech to thank Astrid Pérez for the work done during her years at the head of the organization. "I want to dedicate a few words to the president who has been until now Astrid Pérez, for all the work and for all the legacy she has left in Lanzarote, in the Popular Party," she said.
She also explained that she had been in contact with Pérez and that the president of the Parliament had conveyed her best wishes. "I know she is there for whatever is needed," said Tovar, who also advocated for the experience of the person who has led the party for almost two decades.
"Experience is a degree and we will continue to count on it because it will also guide us a little, because it has done very well in Lanzarote and we cannot say otherwise," he added.
Tovar attributes criticism to "external people"
The new insular leadership was also asked about the criticisms that have arisen in recent days and whether they could come from within the party itself.
Tovar dismissed the idea of an internal fracture and pointed to people outside the organization. "I don't think it's within the party; I think it would be external people who want to harm the party," he stated.
In his opinion, these criticisms aim to weaken a party that is going through, in his words, "a good" and "strong moment." "They will not weaken us because unity is strength," he assured.
The popular leader wanted to put an end to the controversy and focus on the future. "From now on, we are looking forward, we are not going to look back," she pointed out. "We want to continue working for and for Lanzarote and La Graciosa."
Elections condition the PP's calendar
Domínguez explained that the decision to resort to a caretaker committee instead of holding an insular congress immediately is also linked to the political calendar.
As he recounted, during the last year the regional leadership had been modifying its plans based on the possibility of early general elections. "The party cannot face elections in the middle of a Congress, because we get distracted," he argued.
The regional president did not rule out that Lanzarote could hold a congress before the May 2027 elections. Nor did he close that possibility for Gran Canaria and El Hierro, the other two islands that currently have a caretaker committee.
"Everything will depend on what the calendar we have to face in these next dates will be," he explained.
Domínguez also pointed out that before the regional and municipal elections, the PP's Regional Congress is scheduled, so he considered that the party must avoid dedicating too much time to internal matters.
"I don't think the important thing is that we keep looking inward. We have to look outward," he stated.
A team of people
The new caretaker committee will be made up of leaders from the Popular Party of Lanzarote. María Jesús Tovar holds the presidency and Kiko Aparicio serves as secretary.
The rest of the team is made up of Claudio Doreste, Carmen Pellón, Jeziel Martín, Ana Hernández, Toñi Suárez, Luis Hernández and Alejandro Gutiérrez.
Among the immediate objectives of the management committee will be the preparation of the organization for the upcoming electoral events and the reinforcement of the party's structure in Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
Domínguez defended that the insular reorganization is part of a broader process initiated since his arrival to the regional presidency. He recalled that he then stated that the PP of Canarias needed "muscle" and that it had to "go to the gym".
"I understood that sport cured it better. And that's why I said: let's gain muscle and grow, and let's be stronger, and let's incorporate people, and let's open the doors," he explained.
The regional president assured that, after several years focused on government management, the regional leadership is now dedicating more efforts to internal organization.
"I believe that this party, thanks to sport, is in much better health than when I arrived," he concluded.
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