Jerónimo Saavedra, the Common Deputy of the Canary Islands, visited the Arrecife City Council this Wednesday and found himself in a rather peculiar situation. The mayor had just made his resignation official in the plenary session and the PSOE councilors had just broken the pact, resigning from their areas of government. Thus, Saavedra was received by the former mayor, Cándido Reguera, by the acting mayor, Nayra Callero, as well as by the PP councilor, Carmen Sáez, and by the socialist councilors José Montelongo and Víctor Sanginés, who had already moved to the opposition.
It was Saavedra's first official visit to the capital Corporation and he was accompanied by his advisor in Lanzarote, the lawyer Carla Melgarejo. The meeting was framed within the protocol visits that the Common Deputy has made to the town halls of the islands, with the purpose of introducing himself institutionally to the municipal leaders.
Although it was a first contact between both institutions, Saavedra raised the importance of collaboration between the town halls and the institution of the Common Deputy for the "better defense of the rights and constitutional freedoms of all citizens, in those aspects related to municipal management", according to the Arrecife City Council.
Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo took office as Common Deputy last December. The new ombudsman of the Canary Islands acceded to the position after being president of the Government of the Canary Islands from 1983 to 1987 and from 1991 to 1993, as well as Minister of Public Administrations (1993-1995) and Minister of Education and Science (1995-1996) of Spain, among others.
The Common Deputy of the Canary Islands has an office in Arrecife, located on Rambla Medular, number 99, and is the high commissioner of the Parliament of the Canary Islands for the defense of fundamental rights and public freedoms.
