Let's be clear. For the vast majority of political spokespersons who support the harassment campaign on Triple Parity, the interest in increasing the number of parliamentarians elected by the residents of the capital islands is secondary.
The objective of their action is to eliminate the supposed beneficiaries of the current electoral system, who according to their particular mantra have been: CC, ASG and AHI.
Let's go to the practical case of Fuerteventura, which is the one I know best.
What results has that 'dark' electoral machinery yielded in these years?
Well, the 'evil' Triple Parity has provided victories to the Parliament for CC, PSOE and PP.
Yes. That is.
In 2007/11 the 'triplism' was not annoying because... the PSOE was the most voted list to the Parliament by the Majoreros.
Of course, in 2003/2007 there was no need to even discuss the issue... the PP was the preferred one by the Majorero voters with 3 seats. And in 1995 more of the same: equitable distribution between PP, PSOE and CC.
No one in Fuerteventura was talking then about removing representativeness from the non-capital islands.
Were they not aware in the PSOE of the 'triple-parity' deficiencies when for decades, election after election, they won the majority of the seats in La Gomera? Or did the prejudices flourish after losing Casimiro Curbelo and his team?
In 2011 or in 1995, was the electoral system not annoying to PSOE and PP when they managed to end the 'hegemony' of AHI in Parliament?
And the PP, is that 'pernicious' 'anti-democratic' electoral structure that has provided it with the best results in its history in La Palma in 2015?
Was the system not annoying to the leaders of NC when Román Rodríguez acceded from the ranks of CC to the presidency of the Government with the votes of the 'triplist' deputies?
Above interpretations, what is clear is that the 3 seats that ASG obtained in La Gomera in 2015, the 3 of CC in Lanzarote, La Palma and Fuerteventura and the 2 majority of El Hierro are there: in each town, in each street, in each house... available to whoever wants to go looking for them. And manage to convince voters that their electoral proposal is the best.
In the scattered areas of Majorera there are many of the residents who in 2015 gave the 3 seats to CC. You have to go through them to meet their people. It is useless to tweet standard promises from an office in Las Palmas.
To dispute the seats to ASG requires going to each town, kicking each curve of the Gomera roads.
Listening is the first verb that must be conjugated outside the capitals.
Climbing the slopes that lead to the houses of the Palmers voters are the votes to the Parliament. There are no secrets. What there are are terraces, hours of irrigation and slopes where to load bunches of bananas.
And many demands to manage.
That is the reason for the votes achieved. Not the Triple Parity that is now denigrated by those who from their lecterns in Santa Cruz or Las Palmas want to reduce the electoral weight of the residents of the non-capital islands.
If they want the votes they have to come and look for them here. Develop electoral and government programs adapted to the reality of each island. Attend to the neighbors and offer answers to their demands.
They must be accountable for the work in each town, because milking goats at six in the morning or cleaning hotel rooms does not leave too much time to be interested in the 'Profiden' adventures of politicians who live on Facebook.
The Triple Parity against which it is now being attacked, especially from the capitals, can surely be improved.
Personally, I advocate eliminating the caps and leaving a single parity: equal number of deputies between capital and non-capital islands. Let's break the parity between provinces and between the two capital islands. I also share that the reform of the Canarian electoral system must be debated and agreed upon in the Canary Islands, without plateau impositions.
I also believe, and defend, that there should be no steps backwards in history.
Those who in the last quarter of the past century were able to assert themselves to achieve, for the first time, that the non-capital islands had the same number of parliamentarians as the capital islands, are the example to follow. They do not deserve that their work is now betrayed by despising the achievements obtained.
In no way should we accept that representativeness is subtracted from the non-capital islands. Not even with that 'regional list' that seems to be an effect of the Binter turbulences on politicians who from Tuesday to Thursday transmute into capital champions.
Mario Cabrera González, Deputy of the Canarian Nationalist Group for Fuerteventura
