Esther Gómez is already in the group of non-attached members in the Arrecife City Council, thus complying with the mandate of Equo Verdes Canarias to leave the Lanzarote en Pie group. However, the other councilor of the party, Leandro Delgado, still remains within the Lanzarote en Pie group, waiting to resolve questions asked to his party.
It should be remembered that Verdes Equo Canarias asked its two councilors at the time to move to the mixed group, although the secretary has ruled that in any case they would have to move to the non-attached group. “The secretary informed us that we had to go to the group of non-attached members, and we are going to do so and we are not planning to appeal it”, says councilor Esther Gómez to La Voz de Lanzarote.
In addition, Gómez emphasizes that the party believed that being in the non-attached group meant “not belonging to a political party”, and that the secretary clarified that this is not the case, but only that they “do not belong to a political group”. “I requested the transfer on August 10, and on the 28th I was notified,” says Gómez herself.
That new place within the group of non-attached members could be seen this Friday, in the plenary session for the approval of the appointment of Rosana Arbelo as Favorite Daughter of the municipality. “I already presented myself there as a non-attached councilor, so I no longer belong to the Lanzarote en Pie group,” she says.
For his part, Leandro Delgado still does not clarify what he will do after his party's decision, and, as he did in his first statements on Radio Lanzarote, he now assures that he is “getting informed” to know what decision to make. “I understand that asking councilors to move to the mixed group could be contrary to the law,” says the councilor, in statements to La Voz.
“My intention is not to continue delving into issues that are limited only to the organizational sphere. Everyone is free to make their own decisions”, adds the Equo councilor, who emphasizes that making the move to another group “is not possible”.
“We have structures for debate and dialogue and that is where these types of issues have to be taken”, points out the councilor himself. When asked if he will abide by the firm decision of Verdes Equo that he has to leave the group, Delgado reiterates that he must “continue talking” to “maintain the rights” of each one.
And it is precisely that alleged violation of rights that Leandro Delgado would be claiming from his party, according to his colleague Esther Gómez.
“In the end, he is prolonging a decision that only has two solutions: either he stays in Lanzarote en Pie or he abides by the party's decision and goes to the group of non-attached members”, points out Gómez herself. If this last situation occurred, and if Leandro Delgado left the group, he would no longer be released as he is currently, and consequently he would stop receiving the benefit for the public service.
Finally, councilor Esther Gómez has assured that Leandro himself “did not attend the meetings”, and that if he had gone, “he would have found out earlier about the decision of the assembly”. However, Delgado himself assured at the time that he attended “when he was summoned” to said meetings.
“This situation, of now I am and now I am not, no longer only harms the party but also the electorate, and disappoints them more than they already are”, concludes Gómez.