The Mayor of Arona, Fátima Lemes, from the Popular Party, has dismissed four councillors from Más por Arona from their positions in the municipal government this Wednesday and will reorganise the coalition in one of the most significant local councils in Tenerife, which has an official population of nearly 90,000 residents and is a major tourist destination on the Island.
On Wednesday morning, Lemes signed the decrees for the removal of the four councillors from Más por Arona: Dácil León, Luis García, Juan Sebastián Roque, and Pura Martín. The pact between the PP (5) and CC (5) will persist, with the two Vox councillors joining the Arona Government. Additionally, Lemes is seeking to gain external support from Nueva Canarias (1). Consequently, they would accumulate 13, precisely what is required to establish a majority governing body.
The disagreements with the four councillors from Más por Arona ultimately resulted in the dissolution of the agreement established following the most recent municipal elections held in May 2023. These councillors were formerly part of the PSOE but departed the party at the conclusion of the last term (2019-2023) due to conflicts with the previous mayor, the leader of the Aron socialists José Julián Mena, who divided the formation during his governance in Arona.
The PP-CC-Más agreement for Arona lasted one year and seven months. The differences in opinion between the Popular Party and Más por Arona’s members became increasingly intractable until Lemes chose to revoke their positions and create a more robust coalition for the benefit of the municipality.
The four councillors of Más por Arona: from left to right, Dácil León, Pura Martín, Juan Sebastián Roque, and Luis García. / ED
Fátima Lemes is set to announce the decision today and has already finalised negotiations with Vox regarding their participation in her governing team. On June 17, 2023, Arona elected its first female mayor, Fátima Lemes, the head of the Popular Party ticket. Alongside the five votes from the PP, she secured another five from the Canarian Coalition and four from Más por Arona. Their combined total exceeded the required number for an absolute majority. That day “marked the dawn of a new era for the municipality.”
As the mandate has progressed, the differences in views between Lemes and Más por Arona have intensified, to the point of becoming unbridgeable. The removal of the four councillors from this coalition and the inclusion of the two from Vox into the local administration will necessitate a restructuring of Lemes’s team.
The dismissed Más por Arona councillors oversee the following departments: Dácil León serves as the second deputy mayor and manages Tourism, Economic Promotion, Primary Sector, and Employment; Pura Martín is the delegated councillor for Seniors, Public Health, and Equality; Juan Sebastián Roque is the eighth deputy mayor and manages Contracting, Public Works, and Housing; and Luis García is the fifth deputy mayor, overseeing Urban Planning and Territorial Planning, an area that is currently under the management of the Popular Party.
