The Education councillor and PP candidate for the Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Poli Suárez, claims he sees himself occupying the mayor's office and will work to achieve an absolute majority in 2027.
The Education councillor of the Government of the Canary Islands, Poli Suárez, has stepped forward to become the next mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In an interview granted this Monday, the Partido Popular candidate stated that his goal for the municipal elections in 2027 is to obtain an absolute majority that allows him to govern alone, without the need for pacts.
Suárez explained that the decision to run came after a proposal from the president of the PP in the Canary Islands, Manuel Domínguez, supported by the national leadership and by leaders such as Jimena Delgado and Carlos Sánchez. According to him, the idea took shape during the past month of May. "I see myself as mayor. If I didn’t see myself, I probably wouldn’t have made the decision," he asserted emphatically.
Open dialogue, but with red lines
Although he is confident in achieving a sufficient majority, Suárez does not close the door to dialogue with other political forces. However, he set a red line: he will only reach agreements with those who share a vision of a city that is "equal and supportive" and does not involve cutting rights. Among the parties he does not rule out collaborating with are the PSOE, Nueva Canarias, Coalición Canaria, or Primero Canarias, as long as the goal is to promote a common project for the Gran Canaria capital.
One of the topics that dominated the conversation was the controversial garbage tax. Suárez maintained that this tax "is here to stay" because it responds to European and state regulations, although he believes that the procedure followed by the City Council has been incorrect, as pointed out by the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands. Therefore, he defended drafting a new ordinance and reviewing both the amounts and the application criteria before committing to a specific figure.
IBI reduction and urban cleaning
On fiscal matters, the popular candidate opened the door to a future reduction of the IBI, although he conditioned any decision on a prior analysis of the municipal accounts. In his view, it is possible to reduce taxes as long as there is efficient management of public resources, something he contrasted with the budget execution level of the City Council, which he criticized during the interview.
Urban cleaning was another key point in his speech. Suárez asserted that the city "is not clean" despite the million-euro service contract and stated that one of the main demands he is receiving from residents during his initial visits as a candidate is, precisely, to improve the state of the streets. "The citizens are drafting it," he summarised, advocating for a policy based on listening and maintaining contact with the neighbourhoods.
Residence and participatory programme
The candidate also responded to criticisms about not currently residing permanently in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. He explained that, due to his responsibilities as a councillor, he spends a large part of the week between different islands, although he confirmed that he will eventually establish his residence in the capital. He defended that he knows the city well after having lived in it for years and regularly travelling through it for work.
Suárez announced that his electoral programme will be developed in a participatory manner alongside community groups, social entities, and citizens, with the aim of presenting realistic proposals and avoiding promises that cannot be fulfilled later. "The citizens are drafting it," he insisted, in an attempt to connect with the residents of the capital.
Looking ahead to 2027, the popular candidate is ambitious and confident that his project can resonate with the voters of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In the meantime, he will continue to balance his role at the head of the Education Department with the electoral campaign, in which he has already begun to tour the neighbourhoods to hear firsthand the demands of the citizens.
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