have had to pass 110 years for a woman to occupy the presidency of the Council of Tenerife. Rosa Davila yesterday became the first insular president after the resignation of the socialist Pedro Martínand that of the PSOE, PP and Vox itself to present candidates in the vote, which was carried out by show of hands, and which concluded with 18 upvotes (CC and PP) and 13 abstentions (PSOE and Vox). A form of election that will also become part of the history of the institution, since it is the first time that the president is elected through a vote among the heads of the list.
After a first plenary session in which Pedro Martín’s resignation was announced, the second took place quickly, and in an environment of complete normality, in which there were only good words for each other. This was recognized by Rosa Dávila herself, who in her first speech as president thanked Pedro Martín, and her government, not only for the work done, but also for the facilities given to promote change in the presidency.
The president said she spoke from a deep feeling of “commitment and honor, with pride and emotion, for representing Tenerife, which is more than an Island.”
In his speech, he reviewed the different issues that he will address from today together with his government partner, the PP, whose leader, Lope Afonso, thanked his leadership in reaching an agreement, and for his “contribution and generosity to build our common goal.”
As the first woman to hold the position, she did not hesitate to point out that “talent and leadership skills have no gender”, that “there are no limits” for women, and encouraged young women to “dream big” and “fight for your goals” because “they are the future”.
He had words for previous presidents such as Ricardo Melchior, who attended the plenary session, and Carlos Alonso, as well as reiterated his gratitude to Pedro Martín. He also recalled the figure of Adán Martín, who he said was “a visionary leader.” With these words, Rosa Dávila ended her speech and the plenary session, after which she received a shower of congratulations, from Fernando Clavijo and Ana Oramas, as well as other CC members who came to accompany her, such as the former counselor Wladimiro Rodríguez Brito or the already mentioned Ricardo Melchior. Shouting “president, president” she was greeted at the end of the plenary session by CC’s supporters and friends, who gave her a long standing ovation.
For its part, the PP, led by Lope Afonso, was more discreet in its celebration, which was not as effusive as that shown by the nationalists, although, like the former, they received congratulations from their supporters for a government on which they Afonso did not tire of repeating that it is based on “trust” and “loyalty”, thus removing the shadow of a possible motion of no confidence throughout the mandate, a possibility that remains open since the CC and PP have not presented theirs, after Martin’s resignation.
Afonso emphasized after the plenary session that “you have to be transparent” and for this reason in his speech in plenary session, “although no one asked it, I wanted to make it clear that this is a four-year pact, firm, and with the will to continue.”
Pedro Martín: “We are going to be a forceful and demanding opposition”
Pedro Martín spoke throughout the plenary session, and at the end of it, with a conciliatory tone, reviewing the achievements of a mandate in which, he said, he had it much more complicated than Rosa Dávila, who will enjoy a “sufficient majority” so that the initiatives they take can go ahead, so “we are going to be demanding”. And it is that Martín pointed out: “I would like to think that we are capable of continuing the enormous work that has been done in the Government of the Canary Islands with the support of the Cabildo, in highway projects, that is essential, because there are projects that could come out to tender between now and the end of the year”. He also spoke of the promotion of the Tenerife airports, “with some agreements that we will follow up on”. “In short -he continued- we are going to be very present, very aware of the projects that we have launched, and willing to collaborate with any initiative that is good for Tenerife, there will not be an opposition determined to entangle, or to harm , but yes in being forceful because we are going to be demanding ”. Martín pointed out that he is rejoining his job today, and that he is ready to make an opposition.
