The Canary Islands government has launched a challenge in the absence of response from the Central Executive rejection to oil exploration evidenced by much of the islands' society. In this sense, the Canarian President, Paulino Rivero, has announced that the State shall request permission to hold a public consultation in relation to the controversial survey that seeks to make Repsol and authorized by the government of the People's Party a few kilometers from the coast of Lanzarote Fuerteventura. "In a matter of this importance and relevance, we understand that it is reasonable to consult the people because it has to do, beyond governments or legislatures, with our economic model and the future of the archipelago so, while respecting the Constitution and our Staff will consult the people, "said Rivero after holding an extraordinary Council of Government.
In this sense, the Constitution in Article 92 and the Statute of Autonomy of the Canaries in Article 32 and the Regulation of the Regional Parliament contemplated calling a public inquiry and always when proposed and approved by absolute majority in the regional parliament. The question of choice and will be subject to consultation is, "Do you agree with the oil exploration authorized the multinational Repsol off the coast of our island? ". If the proposal of referendum in the Parliament of the Canary Islands, the next step is to apply for authorization to Central Government.
Moreover, Rivero emphasized that the consultation on oil exploration in the Canaries has nothing to do with the sovereignty referendum posed by Catalonia. "At the meeting I had with Mariano Rajoy, last January, it was clear that our intention is to work with dialogue with institutional loyalty and respect but this is not an obstacle for some issues we disagree as is the case of oil, which does not mean it is a failure of the will to dialogue, "said Rivero.
The announcement of the Canary Islands Government has raised a cascade of reactions starting with the industry minister, José Manuel Soria, who has emerged as a strong advocate of oil exploration in the Eastern islands. Soria, who happened to be in the Archipelago in a ceremony on the island of La Palma, expressed his "respect" to the call by the Canarian Government of a referendum on oil exploration " provided it is done within the scope of their skills. " Similarly, the minister said that since the central government has acted" within the law as evidenced by the pronouncements of the Supreme Court according to the current legislation. "
For his part, Vice President of the Canarian Government and General Secretary of PSC- PSOE, José Miguel Pérez, said that the inquiry is "necessary because it has not been able to reach any agreement and surveys have an important rejection citizenship. " At this point, all the formations that make up the Riksdag (New Canarias and Izquierda Unida) except the People's Party have shown their support for public consultation is held.
Minister for the Environment, Miguel Arias Cañete, has reminded the Government of the Canary Islands that the Spanish Constitution regulates only national referendum and not autonomous, after the regional government has agreed to apply for permission to the State to carry out a public consultation on relation to oil exploration.
" Article 92 of the Constitution states very clearly that major decisions can be subjected to a consultative referendum of all Spaniards. Therefore not regulated in the Constitution but the autonomic and call national referenda have the rules established in the Constitution Spanish, "he noted in a statement to the media at the entrance of his hearing in Congress on climate change.
Tags: Canary, challenges, consultation, government, polls