Tyler resigns IU whip but keeps Manilva town hall responsibilities

Mayor Mario Jiménez has persuaded the IU to stay part of his ruling coalition despite initial upset that Tyler still has a role on the mayor's team

CHARO MÁRQUEZ

Friday, 22 February 2019, 10:09

The mayor of Manilva, Mario Jiménez, has averted a crisis in the coalition he heads after the resignation of councillor Dean Tyler from the Izquierda Unida (IU) party, one of the coalition partners.

Jiménez leads the Podemos-afilliated Compromiso Manilva (CM) party and heads the municipality with the IU and Partido Popular.

Last week, Dean Tyler, the IU councillor for Foreigners, Trade and Commerce, Consumers and the Environment, resigned the IU whip alleging that he felt undervalued by the party. However the mayor agreed that Tyler, who is well-known among the large foreign-resident community in Manilva and Sabinillas, could keep his town hall responsibilities while sitting as an independent councillor ahead of local elections in May.

This immediately caused upset within the IU who demanded that Tyler be relieved of his duties and these given to the IU, amid rumours, now denied, that Tyler had reached a private agreement with the CM for the future.

At a crisis meeting between the Manilva mayor and IU councillors on Tuesday, Jiménez convinced his coalition partners to maintain their electoral pact at least until the end of the legislative period in three months' time.

Didn't feel wanted

In his statements on resigning from the IU last week, Tyler had said he didn't "fit in" with the IU group, and "that's why I've decided to leave somewhere I'm not wanted".

Recently Tyler stood to be the IU's mayoral candidate in May in an internal ballot, but received only one vote against the 43 votes for existing local IU leader, Antonio Barragán.

"When you're in a group, you have to feel part of it. They said that I was excluding myself, but I'm independent. They have not taken me into account in decisions. It's a pity," said Tyler, stressing that he didn't have personal differences with Barragán.

The internal dispute within the local IU was brought to the fore recently over the removal of a palm tree that was reportedly damaging the pavements in front of businesses in Duquesa marina. Tyler had authorised its removal as councillor for the Environment and based on a technical report. Barragán, who is responsible for Public Works in the municipality, hit back, saying there was no need to remove it and criticised Tyler's action.

On Wednesday, as both CM and IU parties agreed Tyler could keep his roles as an independent, they said in a statement, "We reconfirm the pact signed two years ago with the sole aim of keeping working for the future of Manilva."

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