The socialist spokesperson in the Valencia City Council, Sandra Gómez, has announced that her municipal group will file a complaint against the mayor María José Catalá before the contentious administrative court and before the Ombudsman for limiting the rights of the opposition.
“The only thing that Catalá has dedicated itself to during these first months of government is curtailing the rights of the opposition. For the first time, a government in Valencia has left four councilors, coincidentally three from the Socialist Party and one from Compromís, without the possibility of participating in the commissions or asking questions”, he assured.
As reported by the socialist group, Gómez is “clear that the PP is violating the political rights of citizens” and has added that as there is jurisprudence in this regard, they will file a complaint before the courts.
“The formation of the commissions is illegal because it violates the rights of the councilors. Mrs. Catalá has an opportunity to correct this situation because if not, the courts will account for her inability to govern”, Gómez indicated during her balance of the first months of the PP government in Valencia.
In his opinion, “in addition to curtailing the rights of the opposition, the government of María José Catalá has shown that they have no project. They have not made any decision that improves the lives of Valencians. All their measures have been negative, in reversing decisions that had allowed us to advance in rights and freedoms”, he stated.
Gómez has criticized that Catalá “is a small mayoress in a big city like Valencia” and has insisted that “she has no ideas other than working on small things, on paving and reversing the progress that we socialists have achieved in the municipal government”.
On the other hand, he has ensured that UNESCO officials will visit the city to make a report on the shooting of a mascletà next to the Lonja, the only building in the city declared a World Heritage Site by the international organization.
“It is an example of incompetence and lack of respect for a building as emblematic and recognized as the Lonja. The only decision that the PP of Catalá made with respect to the July Fair, to put its stamp, was to shoot a mascletà and put our heritage at risk,” Gómez denounced in a statement.
“UNESCO has answered us since they will attend to our complaint and their technicians will visit Valencia to analyze what happened,” said the Socialist councilor.
“We are going to follow this case carefully in coordination with UNESCO technicians to guarantee that the PP of Catalá does not attack the city’s heritage again. We are very concerned that the PP not only renounces the protection of our patrimony but also puts it at risk directly from the administration itself”, Gómez continued.
The socialist responsible has stressed that “with the previous government, hand in hand with the Socialist Party, progress was made in the protection of the building with the restriction of the festivals next to the Lonja”.
