The VOX spokesman in Manilva, Antonio Marín, has condemned the formation of a three-party coalition between the Partido Popular, Izquierda Unida and Compromiso Manilva, which «sends political spending soaring and shows the abandonment of any commitment to transparency».
“The Partido Popular has surrendered the council to the left in order to hold on to power, increasing the number of councillors with delegated areas and deputy mayor posts in a Town Hall with more than 18 million euros of debt,” Marín said, calling it “an outright absurdity”.
At the extraordinary and urgent council meeting held on 23 December, the municipal comptroller presented a report detailing “a multitude of irregularities” in staff hiring, as Marín explained. “The report pointed to cases where staff appointments were not notified, reports were missing, or the rules were simply ignored altogether.” In the face of this “scandalous situation”, VOX made it clear that «they would not support budgets or any extrajudicial recognition of credits until an external audit was carried out to clarify the Town Hall’s accounts from before this governing team took office”, he said.
In contrast to this firm stance by VOX, the PP governing team has chosen to strike a deal with Compromiso Manilva, a splinter group from Izquierda Unida in the municipality, bringing four of its five councillors into the municipal government. “They have formed a dysfunctional three-party coalition between the PP, Izquierda Unida and Compromiso Manilva, putting aside any intention of doing things properly.” Meanwhile, he continued, «they are sending political spending soaring by going from eight members in the governing team to twelve, in a Town Hall that is in debt and in the process of refinancing”, Marín lamented.
The VOX spokesman also highlighted that this pact reflects how the Partido Popular operates in institutions. “The PP shows once again that it is not a reliable party. They are capable of striking a deal with anyone to stay in power. We have seen it in Manilva, but also in other institutions. It is clear that their priority is not the good of residents, but their own survival at any price”, he stressed.
Marín condemned this political move as “not only worsening the municipality’s economic situation, but also creating an unstable and uncoordinated government”. Now, he said, “we have a Town Hall run by a three-party coalition in which Izquierda Unida and Compromiso Manilva, despite not being able to stand each other, have joined together out of convenience”. This, he stated emphatically, «can only lead to more chaos and waste, with no benefit for residents”.
VOX has reiterated its commitment to transparency and good management, insisting on the need for an external audit to ensure that the Town Hall’s accounts are clear and free of irregularities. “The residents of Manilva deserve to know where their money is going and to demand accountability. We will continue to defend transparency and to oppose any spending that is not properly justified”, concluded Antonio Marín.
