THE Partido Popular (PP) has announced that it will take note of the success of the environmental demonstration held on Saturday, but called on the other political parties to do the same. The PP must listen to the 30'000 to 60'000 people who demonstrated on Saturday because we cannot turn our backs on reality. We are obviously aware that there are limited resources, said the PP spokesperson, Miquel Ramis.
Although the PP has said it will listen to the demonstrators, Ramis added the message is not just for us. Those parties who are now in opposition were in charge through two terms of office of the Balearic Government and the Council of Majorca, with their own territorial policies. The PP governs the Council of Majorca along with the UM (Majorcan Unionists), but our powers are very limited. Our area of responsibility is the social aspect, but the territorial affairs are taken care of by the UM.
Ramis said that the leaders of the left wing parties who called for the demonstration on Saturday were protesting against themselves, against the territorial policies which they applied during eight years on the Council of Majorca. It is very obvious that Saturday's demonstration was aimed at influencing the elections, said the PP spokesperson. Jaume Matas (leader of the Balearic Government) was unmoved and on Sunday repeated the same argument put forward after Saturday's demonstration. Majorca's territorial plan is run by the Council of Majorca. It is true that the PP has supported the UM on this institution, but the last Balearic Government also did this. Town planning policy is the province of the Council of Majorca, insisted Matas, minutes before attending a meeting with some 200 residents in Es Molinar.
Rosa Estaras, current deputy leader of the Balearic Government and candidate for the Council of Majorca in the coming elections, said that Saturday's demonstration was expected.
The socialist leader and PSOE (Spanish Socialists) candidate for leader of the Balearic Government, Francesc Antich, said that the PP could not avoid its responsibilities in the matter of territorial policy. Matas has been quick to blame the territorial policy on the UM, but we need to remember that the Council of Majorca is also governed by the PP, so the PP is also responsible for the Council's territorial policy, said Antich.
The ex leader of the Balearic Government also recalled that the PP has a clear responsibility in matters such as the construction of the second Son Dureta hospital in Son Espases and the controversy over the train station in Palma. The responsibility for all these matters rests with Matas, nobody else, said Antich.
Saturday's demonstration went off peacefully. Throughout the protest almost all the slogans were directed at the PP and, although less so, at the UM. The organisers said that this demonstration was the biggest of its kind on Majorca.