A spokesman for the Partido Popular in Madrid, at their Genoa headquarters, has rejected questions from DIARIO INFORMATION on Wednesday afternoon, to rule on the PPCV’s decision to retain Pepe Vegara as the candidate for mayor of Orihuela.
Both the Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Treasury accuse Vegara of three crimes of tax avoidance, for which they have requested prison sentences of up to 7 years.
As reported by Informacion, on Monday, before the list was presented to the electoral board, senior PP leaders in Madrid asked the regional president for an alternative candidate. Among the names, Víctor Valverde was one who was considered. However, sources from the regional leadership have denied receiving pressure of any kind to make a change.
The Party HQ responded, “the question of the appointment of candidates belongs to the regional managers and we refer to them. They have the competence and the confidence to do it.”
Carlos Mazón was also asked about the matter on Wednesday morning in Ibi, but he simply repeated the answer he gave last Friday in Orihuela: “We are going to be prudent, Pepe Vegara himself has already given the appropriate explanations,” he said.
Meanwhile, the regional secretary of Vega Baja PSPV-PSOE of Vega Baja, Joaquín Hernández, has harshly criticised the selection of Vegara.
“The Popular Party has lost a golden opportunity to clean up their politics.” He also described the choice of candidate as ” an insult to the residents of Orihuela and a lack of respect for politics.”
