The president of the Local Committee of the PP in Tías, Pancho Hernández, will not give his support to his colleague Saray Rodríguez in the fight for the Presidency of the PP on the island. "My support is for Ástrid Pérez," he said on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, where he insisted that he is "not" in favor of changes.
Hernández said that for him it is "hard" that both are going to face each other for the presidency of the party, because he considers himself a "friend" of both as well as a colleague, and because he has shared "many things" with both. "And looking at Saray, I was mayor of Tías for eight years and previously, from 2007 to 2011, I shared opposition tasks with her and now we continue to do so," he added. However, the president of the Local Committee of the PP in Tías is "clear" that his support will be for Ástrid Pérez.
And it is that, Pancho Hernández considers that since Pérez is the President of the party is "when it has worked best and the best results" the PP has obtained. "And it is not that Pancho Hernández says so, it is that it is there. In addition to the good functioning, over the years we have won twice in the Senate, I think also a couple of times in the elections to Congress, we won three consecutive times, in 2011, 2015 and 2019, being the most voted party in Tías, and now we govern in Arrecife and also in the Cabildo with the PSOE. We have also had representation in the Parliament of the Canary Islands over the years, on some occasions with two colleagues, Ástrid Pérez and Fernando Figuereo. Therefore, I think it has been the most beautiful stage of the PP," he said.
Thus, Pancho Hernández hopes that the "majority of colleagues" will also opt for the candidacy of Perez, "the person who has taken the PP of Lanzarote to where we never imagined."
In addition, the president of the Local Committee of the PP in Tías believes that it is "very strange" that Saray Rodríguez has decided to present her candidacy for the Presidency of the PP on the island, as he has stated that she was one of the people who "was so involved in 2008 as in 2012 as in 2017 so that Ástrid Pérez would win the congresses."
Likewise, he recalled that Rodríguez was the number two of Ástrid Pérez, as general secretary of the party on the island, from 2012 to 2017. "Now she has decided to present the candidacy, which I neither oppose nor am against her having done so but, as I said at the beginning, the PP has done well with Ástrid." "Why change the coach if the team is working well?" added Hernández, who has stated that he has already conveyed his position to the two candidates.
"I have spoken with both of them and Ástrid Pérez knows that she will have my support and Saray Rodríguez knows that I am going to support Ástrid. I have told her: I am very sorry, you are my student, my colleague, we have been in I don't know how many battles, political ones obviously, but with Ástrid we have done well and I am not in favor of changes,"
Call to remain "united" whoever wins
However, "whoever wins", Pancho Hernández hopes that after the PP Congress, which will be held on April 17, the members of the party will continue "united". "Because it is how we will do best in the future and thus the PP will continue to grow and continue playing, as Ástrid Pérez, our candidate, says, in the First Division. And not only in the First Division, because in the First Division there are many teams and there are some who aspire to play the relegation phase and others the Champion. The PP has to be among the top four to play the Champion," he said, resorting for the second time during the interview to compare politics with sports.
Of course, for Ástrid Pérez and Saray Rodríguez to arrive as candidates to the Congress, both must first obtain 80 endorsements, according to Hernández.
He wants to be relieved in the Local Committee
Finally, while he has opposed changes in the Presidency of the PP on the island, he has said that he hopes that there will be changes in the Local Committee of Tías and that someone will relieve him in the presidency of the same.
"I hope that this year, when we have the local assemblies, because I have been asking for it for two previous terms, they will relieve me, that's enough, that it changes, that in politics it is necessary to refresh, new faces are necessary," he said in this regard.
