The Socialist Party of Lanzarote has publicly denounced Oswaldo Betancort's "maneuver" to supposedly "modify the regulations" of the Cabildo Plenary with "the sole objective of hindering the participation" of the socialist councilor María Dolores Corujo, who must reconcile her seat in the Congress of Deputies with that of island councilor.
The spokesperson for the Socialist Group, Ariagona González, has pointed out that "this modification is not accidental or innocent": "We are facing a crude strategy to silence the main critical voice of Oswaldo Betancort's management. He is bothered that María Dolores Corujo attends the plenary sessions and puts the excesses of his government on the table, so he tries to avoid it by changing the rules of the game."
This modification occurs after María Dolores Corujo registered a formal complaint stating that Oswaldo Betancort "had been breaching the plenary agreement that sets the holding of the plenary sessions, ignoring a basic rule of institutional functioning."
Until now, the regulations clearly established that "the Plenary will hold an ordinary session at least every month, on the days and time set by it, and these dates may be modified at any later time by agreement of said collegiate body and after hearing the Board of Spokespersons."
However, the new text that Oswaldo Betancort intends to approve, according to the PSOE, introduces "substantial changes that open the door to arbitrariness and unilateral decisions, including the possibility of altering its date under ambiguous pretexts."
"Modifying the regulations to prevent María Dolores Corujo from attending the plenary sessions is not only a cowardly maneuver, it is a direct attack on the thousands of socialist voters she represents. Oswaldo Betancort not only silences a deputy, he silences a fundamental part of this island. And he does it because he cannot stand being told the truth to his face," González said.
Ariagona González recalled that "this is in addition to an even more scandalous first draft, in which there was a direct attempt for the Presidency to set the time of each session, further limiting the guarantees of participation of the rest of the political groups."
The PSOE accuses him of "reconciling" his position in Parliament "when it suits him"
The PSOE of Lanzarote has also highlighted the "incongruence" of Oswaldo Betancort, who is also a deputy in the Parliament of the Canary Islands. "He reconciles his functions without problems when it suits him. But when it is María Dolores Corujo who has to organize herself to fulfill her duty as a deputy and as spokesperson for the PSOE in the Cabildo, then he disguises the calendar so that she cannot attend," González denounced.
The socialist spokesperson also pointed out that "there is recent jurisprudence that confirms that modifying the date of the plenary sessions to coincide with the sessions of the Congress of Deputies violates the fundamental right to political participation, enshrined in article 23 of the Spanish Constitution. This has been recognized by the Superior Court of Justice of La Rioja in its ruling No. 240/2024, which declares null the agreement of a town hall for having set the plenary sessions at a time incompatible with the attendance of a councilor who, at the same time, was a national deputy."
Resolution of the Supreme Court on the matter
In said resolution, González pointed out, "the court considers it proven that the change of date prevented the political representative from responsibly exercising her control work, participating in the debates and voting on municipal matters." In this sense, she explained that the judicial resolution indicates that "there was no sufficient or accredited motivation to justify said change and that, in case of conflict of agendas, organizational alternatives must be sought that respect the right to political participation of those who, as is the case of María Dolores Corujo, hold a double legitimate representation."
The PSOE has indicated that this jurisprudence "dismantles any attempt to disguise a decision that, in reality, aims to silence the voice of the main leader of the opposition in Lanzarote and prevent her from attending the plenary sessions of the Cabildo."
Finally, she concluded that "modifying the regulations to shield oneself from criticism is the clearest sign of a government that has lost its way and institutional respect."
