Residents lament that a majority of their written complaints to the coalition government are met with silence, as the Orihuela Council has left unanswered 66% of the questions addressed to it by the association Unidos por la Costa, formerly AVCRL, during the first year of this current term of office, violating the regulations on transparency and good governance, which they are mandated to uphold.
Thar say that they rarely get a response, apart for some generality, despite the fact that the government team of PP and Vox created a specific council for the coast, which is currently headed by the former Air Force Lieutenant General, Manuel Mestre (Vox).
Only 10 of the 30 requests submitted have received a response, and of these 30 requests, just six have been remedied.
Residents have been complaining for decades about neglect and abandonment due to lack of services and infrastructure that have not been carried out despite urban and population growth. It has now caused them to file a complaint with the Syndic of Greuges, which in turn has opened an investigation.
They have stated that there is “a systematic non-compliance with the current legislation on transparency and good governance,” in addition to violating the right to free access of information, by not responding to the letters submitted by the association “unjustifiably, regardless of the matter on which information is requested.” Nor, they add, are they informed of the proceedings in the matters in which they have been present.
The Ombudsman has informed the Council of the initiation of an investigation to find out if the rights of the neighbourhood organisation are being violated, to which a letter from Mestre has said “the City of Orihuela has responded to the letters from the Association diligently when it has requested information.” In so going he has also enclosed the requests for information and the letters of reply.
Following this response, the association now has had 15 days to submit allegations to the Syndic as it continues to draw up an opinion.
However, the Association reiterates that “the responses do not correspond in any way to the questions asked,” so they ask the Syndic to ask the City Council to give “precise responses to the requested public information, with access to the files where appropriate.”
The opposition has also criticised the blockade of access to information, which was evident in the extraordinary plenary to deal with specific issues that affect the Coast, while the groups of PSOE, Ciudadanos and Cambiemos justified their disapproval and the dismissal of the councillor of the Coast, asserting that he occupies a position of coordination rather than action, without the capacity to manage tasks that in the end need the signature of the councillors from other departments.
The PSOE also went to the Syndic with complaints about the mayor, Pepe Vegara, who restricted their access to council documentation, according to the socialists.
