Photos: Sergio Betancort
"After 10 years we have recovered the Cabildo and today is a day of celebration for socialism in the Canary Islands and for socialism in Lanzarote". These were the words of an emotional general secretary of the PSOE, María Dolores Corujo, after becoming the new president of the island's first institution in a hard-fought election, in which she finally managed to prevail over CC, also achieving the "best results in the history of the Cabildo". "We said that change was possible and we have shown that Lanzarote is socialist, that the Canary Islands are socialist, and we are going to govern," said Corujo, who, amid chants of 'president, president', was cheered by her colleagues, who even lifted her on their shoulders to celebrate the victory.
However, tension was present at the PSOE headquarters throughout the election night. And, throughout the count, the Cabildo has been disputed between CC and PSOE by very little difference in votes. In fact, it was not until less than one percent of the votes remained to be counted when the socialists celebrated the victory in an election in which, finally, with 99.41% of the count, the PSOE has achieved 13,781 votes (28.78%) obtaining eight councillors in the institution compared to the seven achieved by CC, who has become the second force by receiving 13,613 votes (27.83%).
"I am very satisfied with the results," said the new president of the Cabildo, who acknowledged that "she did not expect that large number of votes for the PSOE". "Obviously it has been hard-fought, but we knew that they were not going to make it easy for us. They have the Government, they also have the economic support of a certain business sector and they have already seen how the campaign has been, very hard, tremendously hard," added María Dolores Corujo, who has said that she will assume the presidency of the institution "with enormous responsibility, with great desire to work and to dignify the Cabildo and place it in the place that corresponds to it".
"And not only in the regional sphere, but to recover that Cabildo that extends its hand to the town councils, that Cabildo of consensus, of non-confrontation and of non-persecution", said the socialist, who has committed to carry out a government focused "on people and that works "for the general interest and not for the interest of a few". Thus, Corujo has said that she will extend "her hands" to the "left-wing blocs" for "a government of change that Lanzarote so badly needs". "But now what I am focusing on is taking office as president of the Cabildo and from there we will see. The important thing is that we have won the elections, that the Cabildo has a female president and that I am accompanied by the best team of women and men," she said.
A "historic" result in the Canary Islands
"And we have won the Canary Islands and after 26 years we have greater representation in the number of deputies", added Corujo, who has described the result obtained by the PSOE in the elections to the Parliament of the Canary Islands as "historic". And it is that in the whole of the islands it has been placed as the first force in the Regional Chamber achieving a total of 25 deputies, three of them for the constituency of Lanzarote. In addition, the conejero Pedro Viera ran as number three on the regional list, so that the PSOE of Lanzarote will have four representatives in the Canarian Parliament.
Likewise, the island secretary of the PSOE has also celebrated the absolute majority obtained by the PSOE in San Bartolomé, congratulating Alexis Tejera, as well as the socialist candidate for the Town Hall of Teguise, Marcos Bergaz, who she considers that "has made history" by obtaining seven councillors in the municipality compared to the three obtained by the party in the 2015 elections.
"And to the next mayor of Haría", she said, addressing Alfredo Villalba, after the PSOE has managed to go from one to three councillors in the northern municipality, with the possibility of governing if it agrees with the Platform of José Torres Stinga, who has also achieved three councillors, since they would add six compared to the five achieved by CC. "And I told Pepe Juan that if he returned to Tías we would recover the municipality again", said María Dolores Corujo, who also celebrated the PSOE's tie with nine councillors with the PP in Tías, trusting that José Juan Cruz will become mayor of the municipality.
A defeat in Arrecife that "has not" surprised
Corujo also wanted to "recognize with a strong applause" the mayoress of Arrecife and candidate for re-election, Eva de Anta. "Because she has done a wonderful job and they have made it very difficult for her", said the island secretary of the PSOE, despite the fact that the party has remained as the third force in the capital losing a councillor.
"The result in Arrecife is not surprising after the brutal campaign that has been done and a government in an overwhelming minority, where it has been impossible to get the projects we had and wanted to get out because we have not had the complicity of a corporation that has suffered from responsibility", she said
"Within the situation we have had, with a lot of campaigning against us and in a minority government with very few resources and with an almost continuous blockade throughout the legislature, we have maintained a good result, with a lot of dignity and with a lot of strength", said De Anta despite the defeat. "And now what we have to do is work and improve that result", she added.
The culmination of a trajectory "of effort" in San Bartolomé
With "much enthusiasm and very happy" Alexis Tejera has received the victory by absolute majority to the Town Hall of San Bartolomé, who has been received with applause at the electoral headquarters of the PSOE, where he arrived at about 00:30 hours. "It has been the end of a four-year trajectory of effort and another twelve years of economic recovery of a Town Hall that was totally ruined", he pointed out.
"We started twelve years ago with Marcial Martín with a Town Hall indebted, ruined, and without legal certainty. With Loli we achieved stability and I think that the citizens have known how to recognize and compensate for that. And what remains now is to return that confidence in the form of work, which is what we know how to do", added the one who will be the new mayor of San Bartolomé.
"Haría is about to have a socialist Mayor's Office"
"The results are very, very positive. We have tripled the number of representatives, almost doubled the number of votes and we have obtained the best result for 28 years in Haría. Since 91 we have not had such good results and we are very proud of the support that each and every one of the residents of Haría has given us. And Haría today can say that it is about to have a socialist Mayor's Office", said the candidate for the northern municipality, Alfredo Villalba, who has managed to place the PSOE as the second force in Haría with 22.20% of the votes.
In this regard, Villalba pointed out that the PSOE's commitment is to "talk to everyone". "And so it will be, but it was the CC candidate who has vetoed us from the beginning, but even so we will talk to him, but the reality is that our objective was to unseat CC from Haría after many years and that possibility exists and we are quite clear about it", he said.
José Juan Cruz, "open to closing a government program" in Tías
"The people have already spoken and said what they wanted. They have not endorsed the government of PP and CC with the majority and now there are other options. And in those options is the PSOE", said the PSOE candidate for Mayor of Tías, José Juan Cruz, who has been "open to closing a government program" with other formations, after having achieved nine councillors, the same as the PP, compared to the four in the 2015 elections.
Thus, he pointed out that "what is now" is "to try to reach agreements that are beneficial to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Tías". To do this, the PSOE would need to add two councillors, so it would need the support of two other formations. And it is that, both CC and Podemos and Lava, which are the other parties that have achieved representation in the Town Hall, have only obtained one councillor each. In this regard, Cruz has stated that he does not put any veto or have a preference for any formation. "I want to be respectful and I have never been characterized by putting vetoes", he said.
Marcos Bergaz, "enormously satisfied"
"Enormously satisfied" has also been the PSOE candidate for Mayor of Teguise, Marcos Bergaz, after the PSOE has improved its results in the municipality by more than fourteen percentage points achieving seven councillors. "And I know that I am the candidate, I know that I am number one on the list, but the important ones are them. They are the ones who have taken me through each of the payments, of the houses, those who have accompanied me and given me strength and energy. This is a collective project, it is not an individual project of Marcos Bergaz, but of the PSOE of Teguise and of the people who, with or without options to be a councillor, going or not on lists, have been by my side", he said addressing the socialist team of the municipality.
Bergaz has thanked "the hundreds of voters" who have placed their trust in the PSOE. "We are not going to fail them. We are going to represent them well, because in Teguise things can be done better, and that is the purpose we have had from minute one. So to the people of Teguise and La Graciosa, our recognition", he said.
