The local formation expresses its support for a document that allows real participation of citizens in the municipality
The Citizen Participation Regulation currently in force in La Laguna has been in place since 1993. After 32 years, it is clear that it requires a thorough update to adapt to new social realities, ensure citizen involvement in decisions affecting our towns and neighbourhoods, and regulate essential aspects such as participation in municipal plenary sessions.
Pending Approval of New Regulations
Following various working processes over the years, the approval of a new regulation remained pending in 2023. Idaira Afonso, councillor of Unidas se puede, highlighted that “since 2011, attempts have been made to modify or create a new regulation, but for various reasons, it has not yet materialised. We have worked on this for many years, and community groups have expressed their concern about the lack of progress.”
According to Afonso, in previous years, neighbourhood federations, associations, and political formations actively participated in the creation of this document. However, since 2023, there has been no new information or visible steps towards its approval. “We are worried that the Participation Regulation may not be inclusive and participatory as it has been in previous years. We have not received official information or invitations to engage in any process to build the final text. Nonetheless, we learned through the press (July 2025) that the document could be approved before the end of this year, suggesting that the issues causing its delay have been resolved. However, as I mentioned, political formations, at least in opposition, are unaware of the current status of this process,” Afonso stated.
Concerns from Community Organisations
Community organisations have also raised concerns with the local formation, indicating the same lack of information regarding the process, the final content, and when it might be brought to the Plenary for a vote. From Unidas’s political perspective, it is important to access information and actively participate in the process as occurred previously.
“Given the current situation, and the questions posed by various community and social organisations, and considering this is a topic we have addressed with particular interest within our political space, we announce that we have formally registered a request for a meeting between the Citizen Participation area and the political formations represented in La Laguna City Council. This meeting aims to update us on the advances of the draft document, allowing us to contribute collectively to build a truly participatory tool. Furthermore, the final process must also include contributions from the citizens themselves; thus, we aspire to bring this document closer to the towns and neighbourhoods of the municipality,” Afonso concluded, stating, “We believe that the future of citizen participation in our municipality cannot be built behind the backs of those who should be the protagonists: the citizens themselves. Encouraging broad and diverse participation will ensure a better regulation.”
