MADRID, 16 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The seat that corresponded to the former deputy of United We Can Alberto Rodríguez remains empty after almost a year and with no forecast that the vacancy will be filled, an unprecedented situation in Congress and that has caused the confederal group to have one less vote in the hemicycle since that period.
It was on October 22 of last year when the president of Congress, Meritxell Batet, informed the former parliamentarian that she was withdrawing the act, alluding to the execution of the Supreme Court sentence that sentenced him to a month and a half in prison (replaceable by paying a fine) for a crime of assault on law enforcement officers and disqualification for passive suffrage.
As a result, Rodríguez requested protection from the Constitutional Court against the decision to withdraw the act for violation of his fundamental rights, an appeal that was admitted by the guarantee body and last July the Prosecutor’s Office was in favor of giving him protection, thus opening the door to being returned, but advocated denying it in connection with the conviction
After his decision, Batet proceeded to inform the Electoral Board that Rodríguez’s act was vacant and thus activate the process for his replacement. However, that replacement has not been executed and has remained entrenched ever since.
First, the number two on the list for Tenerife in the last elections Fátima González resigned from taking the act and it was the turn of the third member of the candidacy Patricia Mesa, who has not responded to the communication from the Electoral Board.
A situation, as they admitted in United We Can, that has no legal precedent since the regulations and the Electoral Board do not set a time period to communicate the acceptance or resignation of the seat, thus prolonging that their seat remains empty due to the absence of a response to that requirement.
Meanwhile, Podemos Canarias indicated that they were in a period of “mourning” before the decision to dispossess Rodríguez of his record and that he was in no hurry to undertake his replacement, thus alluding to waiting for the resolution of the legal process.
For its part, the confederal space at the national level attacked Batet, asking for her resignation and even considering suing her. She also opted to occupy her empty seat, although she understood and respected the position of the organization in the Canary Islands.
And it is that the debate on his empty seat became valid again before the tight vote in Congress to approve the labor reform, which went ahead due to an error in the vote of the popular deputy Alberto Casero.
This summer, the state co-spokesperson for Podemos, Javier Sánchez Serna, stated during an interview with Europa Press that they will demand political responsibilities from the president of Congress if the Constitutional Court finally agrees with Alberto Rodríguez.
However, Rodríguez left the purple formation after confirming the withdrawal of his seat and criticized that he had not been given more support in the face of that unfair decision. Even in February he accused the United We Can structures of “attacking” him and “blaming him” for the fact that his position in Congress remained vacant, in addition to pressing for a replacement to be appointed soon.
The minority partner of the Executive has two fewer seats since the beginning of the legislature, given that in addition to the absence of a replacement for Rodríguez, he also suffered the departure of the Canarian deputy Meri Pita to the Mixed Group, although in this case he usually votes in tune with the forces that make up the coalition.
