The twenty local, island and regional organisations that make up the Canarian Unity Committee will be in Madrid after 29 November to speak on behalf of the islanders, not to remain silent in the presence of leaders from the mainland, as they claim the Canarian MPs from the PP, PSOE and Podemos do.
This was the promise made on Saturday by CC MP Cristina Valido and the candidates standing for Congress in Las Palmas on behalf of the coalition formed between Municipalistas Primero Canarias and Fernando Clavijo’s party – Teodoro Sosa and María Fernández – at the presentation of the ‚Declaration for Canarian Unity in Madrid‘.
At this event, Clavijo, Valido, Sosa and Fernández emphasised the «exclusively Canarian loyalty» of this electoral alliance in the face of the «noise and tension» of national politics, which they say will carry over into a campaign they predict will be «tough» and in which they warn that «fear» will be repeatedly invoked.
Mesa de Unidad Canaria: Alliance focuses on local issues
Faced with this situation, this coalition will embark on a highly local, door-to-door election campaign, in which it will distance itself from this polarising climate to address the issues of concern to the people of the Canary Islands, such as maintaining the Canary Islands‘ special status and sectoral agreements with the State, improving access to housing, and ensuring transport, social justice and the necessary funding to make this a reality.
This coalition aims to secure representation for the province of Las Palmas and even to form its own parliamentary group, and claims that it «marks the beginning of something very significant that goes beyond short-term circumstances or electoral calculations», as stated by the head of CC in Gran Canaria, Pablo Rodríguez, who has compared this union «to the reconciliation of Canarian nationalism that took place in 1993».
The president of Municipalistas Primero Canarias, Óscar Hernández, has acknowledged that this negotiation process has not been without its tensions, as there are sensitivities within the political groups that make up this committee who do not support this alliance; however, he has welcomed the fact that collective responsibility has taken precedence in the interests of the Canary Islands.
Fernando Clavijo places political unity at the centre of his agenda
The leader of CC, Fernando Clavijo, has expressed his gratitude for the generosity shown by the signatory parties «in putting their organisational differences to one side» and has contrasted the Canarian model of unity with the political climate on the mainland.
«We switch on the television and all we see are insults and clashes. Nobody is talking about the real problems facing the public. That is what this Unity Forum is for, to ensure that the Canary Islands are at the heart of the debate,» he said.
Female candidates criticise dependence on national parties
Cristina Valido and María Fernández, candidates for the Congress of Deputies representing Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas, have emphasised the need to distance themselves from the major national political blocs during this election campaign, in order to ensure that the archipelago’s specific characteristics are addressed through budgetary and legislative measures in the next parliamentary term.
«Sometimes the kilometres that separate us from Madrid are not measured in distance, but in silences. In the silences of those who do not understand what it means to take a plane or a boat to see a doctor or to study,» Fernández stated.
Valido has criticised the national parties for subjecting the so-called Canary Islands Agenda to their party discipline, stating that «when a vote is taken against the Canary Islands, MPs from the national parties raise their hands because they lack the courage to tell their leaders that they will not vote against their homeland».
Las Palmas: Teodoro Sosa emphasises the city's local roots
Teodoro Sosa, the lead candidate for this coalition in the general election for Las Palmas, has highlighted the local roots of the campaign and emphasised that «Madrid does not own the property, nor will this electoral pact be anyone’s sharecropper any longer; rather, it will be the master of its own future».
The Canarian Unity Platform comprises Coalición Canaria (CC), Municipalistas Primero Canaria, Bloque Nacionalista Rural (BNR), Roque Aguayro, La Fortaleza de Santa Lucía, Asociación de Barrios de Valsequillo (ASBA), Plataforma Vecinal por Santa Brígida, Compromiso por Firgas (CONFIR), Together for Guía, Unión Veguera San Mateo, Commitment to Haría, Citizens for Change (CIUCA), Yaiza Siempre, Tinajo Renewal Movement, Democratic Centre Coalition (CCD), Tejeda Voters‘ Group, United for Gran Canaria (UxGC) and Drago Ingenio Forum.
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