The Deputy Mayor of Arrecife, José Montelongo, made public this Wednesday his decision to resign from the Department of Finance and Economy, although he will assume the Technical Office department, which until now was headed by the CC councilor María Teresa Lorenzo. Montelongo has assured that this has been a "long-considered" decision and has insisted that his indictment in the "Montecarlo" operation has not "directly" influenced it.
Montelongo has admitted that the last months have been "very complicated", especially in "personal matters, which translates into political matters". "The day-to-day has become difficult," he acknowledged. However, he has assured that if his indictment in this case "had influenced" his decision, he would have taken this measure "four or five months ago".
"Out of responsibility, I had to remain in charge of my position," he indicated, while assuring that his judicial "situation" will be "clarified" in a "short period of time, before the end of the year".
The Deputy Mayor wanted to make it clear that this decision has been "agreed upon" with both the PSOE and Coalición Canaria, his government partner in Arrecife. "The decision has been made freely, voluntarily, without coercion or pressure of any kind. Neither my party nor my government partners have tried to influence me when taking this decisive and important step, such as my resignation from the head of Economy and Finance," he indicated.
Montelongo is aware that "the reasons" that have led him to take this step are being questioned. "I clarify to those who have tried to look for hidden and dark motives, that now is the time to make this decision. I have decided this by putting the interests of the city and its citizens first," he defended, while assuring that he has tried to find "the right time to make the change in government areas".
And the Deputy Mayor has stated that he did not want to make a decision "in a hasty and unconscious manner", as "some intended", referring to Alternativa Ciudadana, which demanded this resignation to continue in the government group, which it finally decided to abandon.
Montelongo believes that his decision had to wait for a moment "like this one", "with a practically liquidated budget and with the homework already on the table to prepare the next budget". "It is now that the person who resumes the management of Economy and Finance will be able to start from scratch and that will benefit the city," he defended.
Restructuring of areas
Montelongo's decision will involve a "restructuring of the municipal areas" of the Arrecife City Council that, according to the socialist, "will bring benefits in the not too distant future". Thus, he will keep the Departments of Roads and Works and the General Plan and will also assume the Technical Office, while a CC councilor will take charge of Economy and Finance. Next week it will be announced who will be in charge of these areas.
For his part, the secretary of the socialist municipal group, Pedro Viera, will be in charge of Neighborhoods and Citizen Participation. This will not involve extra expenses for the City Council, as they have clarified, since the councilor will continue to perform his duties as a teacher.
Montelongo believes that it is the "right time" to address this restructuring. "We are on the verge of the initial approval of the General Plan. We will be able to manage better if we link the Departments of General Plan, Technical Office and Roads and Works in one person and not in two councilors, as until now. This will allow us to make profitable a work as necessary and of such magnitude as the General Plan," he defended.
"I think it is convenient that I focus on urban issues and that another person focuses exclusively on Finance, which needs a time that perhaps I may lack," he said. Thus, the socialist has once again tried to make it clear at this press conference that the "reasons" that have led him to resign from the Department of Finance "are those explained and not others". "For reasons of operability, it is done at this time. There are no hidden political arguments or anything like that," he justified.
Government agreements
Montelongo has also spoken about possible agreements to reach a majority in Arrecife, but also about the rapprochement between the PP and Alternativa Ciudadana. "We have heard everything and they are within their right to present a motion of censure if they deem it appropriate," he indicated. But the councilor has admitted that he "would find it curious" to see Alternativa Ciudadana governing with the PP, "the party of national-level cuts". "It would be curious," he indicated.
Regarding recovering the majority, Montelongo has insisted that both the PSOE and CC have appointed people "to address conversations with the different opposition parties". The socialist has not wanted to comment on whether he sees it more feasible that after leaving the areas of Economy and Finance Alternativa Ciudadana will rejoin the government group.
"Alternativa's decisions will have to be made by Alternativa. If Alternativa sees the possibility of resuming its areas, it will have to present them to the two people from the PSOE and CC. We will have to wait, because they are decisions of other parties," he said.
"Disconnection" in the call for the press conference
On the other hand, Montelongo began this press conference by apologizing to the media for the "disconnection" that existed in the call. The Arrecife City Council sent a call for a press conference on Tuesday, in which it assured that José Montelongo was going to appear alone in the Municipal Archive. Later, it sent another note to the media indicating that Montelongo would appear accompanied by the mayor, Manuel Fajardo Feo, and the spokespersons of CC and PSOE in Arrecife, Rafael Juan González and Pedro Viera, respectively.
Finally, the City Council sent another statement informing of the cancellation of the press conference. Meanwhile, the PSOE sent another note calling for a press conference by Montelongo at the party headquarters in Arrecife.
For this reason, the socialist has considered it appropriate to apologize to the media, who finally attended his press conference at the PSOE headquarters, but has assured that in these changes there has been "no hidden motive, nor any kind of difference with the government partners". "A series of decisions perhaps taken in a hasty manner led to the press conference being called at the City Council. Then we understood that it was convenient to do it at the party headquarters as it was a personal decision," he indicated.