Paulino Rivero assures that he is not "in any race" for the candidacy and affirms that he has "never given an elbow" to assume political responsibilities

"I am not and have never been, nor am I at this moment nor will I be in any race as a candidate," emphasized the president of the Canarian Coalition and spokesperson for CC-NC in Congress, Paulino Rivero, in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, when asked about his possible candidacy for the presidency of the regional government for CC.

"I have never proposed myself as a candidate for anything," Rivero added after considering that it will be necessary to "wait" to see what decision the Political Council adopts next Saturday.

Rivero even stated that he has not even "thought" about being a candidate, although "if they propose it to me, I will think about it at that moment and I will assess it."

According to Rivero, the decision that the CC Political Council must make next Saturday "will be very thoughtful, as corresponds to a force that has gained a lot in internal cohesion and maturity," while considering that in CC there are "many men and women with proven capacity" to face the elections "with guarantees."

In this sense, he stressed that the objective of CC is to win the elections on May 27 and govern "without dependence on parties of state scope, something that "we have reasonably within reach."

The nationalist leader argued that while the parties of national scope choose "by finger" "who is capable of better bending to the interests of Madrid, and not to the interests of the Canary Islands" his party believes that the latter "are compatible with the great policies of the State" and chooses "obeying the criterion that the first thing is the Canary Islands."

In this regard, he referred to the decision of the Board of Spokespersons this Tuesday not to process the Law of Transfers complementary to the new Statute of Autonomy -the so-called Lotraca- next Tuesday, but only the draft reform of the same, to say that with this a commitment previously acquired by the Canarian socialists has been "cut off."

In this same line, he downplayed the fact that so far no one has "self-proposed" as a candidate and pointed out that the next president of the regional government "will be from the Canarian Coalition."

Without elbows

"I have never given an elbow, I didn't even do it to be mayor of my town," he said to questions from journalists when they asked him about his possible candidacy.

In this sense, he pointed out that when he entered politics it was "because they called him" and, in reference to his current position as spokesperson in Congress, he stated that his current function of "doing what can be done for the Canary Islands in Madrid" is "exciting."

He also said he was "convinced" that in the election of the candidate "the logical aspirations of each island will be reconciled with the general interest" and that "the maturity of the Canary Islands is not possible without counting on each and every one of the Islands."

"It is not new that each Island has its own approaches," he added after considering that although the "best" would be unanimity on the chosen one, the requirement of qualified majorities "forces a broad understanding."

ACN Press