Photos: Sergio Betancort
Seven new lawyers have officially joined the board of governors of the Lanzarote Bar Association this Wednesday. This body thus fills the vacancies left last December by seven of the ten members of this body, who resigned "irrevocably" from their positions.
When presenting their resignation, alleging "lack of unity and trust", these lawyers demanded new elections to renew this body. However, already then the dean, Carlos Viña, stated that he would remain in his position. Along with Viña, only the lawyers Rosa García, who holds the position of secretary, and Santiago Ruiz Menéndez remained in their positions.
Now, Antonio Eugenio Seoane-Chanes has joined the board as first deputy, Lexly Johana Llanos as fourth deputy, Salvador Martínez as fifth deputy, Miguel Barreto as sixth deputy, Francisco González as Treasurer and Ignacio Herrero as Librarian Accountant.
Crisis two years after the elections
The last elections to renew the leadership of the Lanzarote Bar Association were held in December 2013. At that time, Carlos Viñas was elected as dean, although no one else from the list with which he ran in those elections managed to enter the board.
Just two years later, the majority of the members of the board decided to resign. "We took possession of our respective positions with all the enthusiasm and desire to work for and for the group that had placed its trust in us, but little by little that enthusiasm and desire disappeared," said the lawyers Raquel Socas Vega, Agustín Márquez Cabrera, Arielh Guadalupe Páez, Leticia María Grimón Rodríguez, María Teresa Borges Martín, Magdalena Nieto Fajardo and Nieves Sánchez Ferrer in their letter of resignation.
Among other things, they spoke of "lack of unity" and "many decisions" that had been adopted without consulting them. However, Viña then denied these accusations. "It is paradoxical that there is talk of a lack of consensus and that it is expressed by seven people who represent an important majority in a group of ten. The system does not allow for a lack of consensus. Decisions are made in the board by majority. The majority prevails," said the dean after learning of these resignations, which he described as "surprising".
