Thomas resigns from posts but retains seat as councillor

He told the media yesterday that his resignation was “a moral and political obligation” given the crisis which came to a head on Friday, when the Partido Popular (PP) ordered Calvia's Mayor Carlos Delgado to sack Thomas.

Delgado had earlier said that he had no intention of sacking Thomas, who resigned from the UM so that he could vote against party orders in a planning matter.

Thomas, who declined to answer questions from the media, said that his resignation was “the best way” to ease the situation, and said he was ready to continue working on behalf of the people of Calvia from his post as councillor without his previous responsibilities in the governing team. “I am a councillor thanks to the support of the people of this town, my town, and I find myself with the moral and political obligation to renounce my posts as deputy Mayor which I put at the disposal of the Mayor of Calvia,” he said in his speech.

He added that the first of his reasons for resigning was “not to harm the Mayor” or the local PP committee of Calvia, which had shown him unconditional support since he resigned on July 27.

In fact, the Calvia PP committee, at an emergency meeting on Saturday, defied Balearic leader Jaume Matas and called on Delgado not to sack Thomas.
The councillor said “I hope this decision makes the renegotiation of the pact (between PP and UM) easier and leads to a stable governing team for the second most important municipality in Balearics.” José Maria Rodriguez, the secretary general of the PP in the Balearics, expressed his party's satisfaction at the resignation, and said his party was willing to adapt the pact with UM to the new situation.

He said that democracy had been restored to normal in Calvia.
He declined to describe Delgado's opposition to the order to sack Thomas as “an act of insubordination,” describing it instead as “resistance,” adding that it happened in the best of families.

Pere Rotger, chairman of the PP in Majorca, said that it was “a very brave decision which created a precedent” as the party will not be ruling in Calvia with a turncoat.

But Antonio Manchado, the socialist spokesman on the Calvia council, alleged that Thomas's resignation was due to “financial reasons” and “hidden agreements” with the Mayor. “Thomas has resigned after saying he would not do so, so I suspect there may be hidden agreements between him and Delgado. His relationship with Delgado seems to be stronger than that of Delgado with Matas,” he said.

He also said that the resignation only solves the problems of the PP not those of the council.