José María García Urbano será el “alcalde mentor” para las elecciones municipales del

28 De Mayo

ntequera ha sido el lugar elegido para la puesta en marcha de la maquinaria electoral del Partido Popular de Málaga y en palabras de su presidenta Patricia Navarro “el PP arranca con fuerza, con ganas de trabajar, de estar a pie de calle y muy cerquita de la gente, como solo el Partido Popular sabe hacer”.

Los candidatos populares sin responsabilidad de gobierno en este momento, contarán con la ayuda inestimable de alcaldes mentores, una nueva figura que desde el PP se asegura “aportará toda la experiencia en la gestión y acompañará a los candidatos dándoles esa fórmula de éxito que ya está funcionando en los municipios gobernados por el Partido Popular” y que en el caso de Manilva y Casares esta responsabilidad recae en la figura del alcalde más votado de España y primer edil de Estepona, José María García Urbano. Juani Ortiz Vargas, Fina Gómez Morales y el candidato a la alcaldía por el PP de Manilva José Manuel Fernández, junto al edil de Casares Francisco Abel Carrasco, así como el presidente local casareño y Diputado provincial Javier Quero asistieron a la Junta Directiva Provincial, celebrada en Antequera en la que, rodeados de decenas de compañeros, se han sentado las bases para todo lo que vendrá en la cita del próximo 28 de mayo de este año eleectoral.

Anative of Castillo de la Duquesa, with 53 years behind him, this father of two is a Sanitary Emergency Technician and lives and presides over the important urbanisation of Hacienda Guadalupe in Manilva.

Has your work always been linked to public service?

Yes, most of my working life has been spent in public service. First at the Manilva Red Cross, and then at the Municipal Emergency Service, something that I have combined with being a union official at the Town Hall.

Have you had political opportunities...

On several occasions, but I have never seen an exciting and future project for the town, they have always been the same faces and people, for this reason I never made the decision to participate.

You have represented council workers.

Yes, I was in the union that denounced in 2009 the irregular hiring of workers by the Izquierda Unida Mayoress, and also in the historic occupation of muni- cipal offices for the defence of workers' rights. You also served at a young age as president of the Spanish Red Cross.

We will put an end to the inequality between residents who live in the urban centre and those who live in the urbanisations, and who currently don't receive the same level of service.

It is true, at only 19 years old I assumed one of the biggest responsibilities I have ever had in my life, such as managing and directing the local office in Manilva of an organisation as important as the Spanish Red Cross, in it young people from the municipality and from neighbouring towns could, enlist as an alternative to military service. More than 150 young people volunteered in an organisation where more than 45,000 kg of food was distributed in an altruistic, non-for-profit effort.

You are currently the president of a major urbanisation in the municipality...

At the moment I dedicate my time to sharing experiences and ideas, as president of the Board of Directors of a Community of more than 700 properties. Something that we can compare with the management of a small town.

Do you like public life?

In it I have had wonderful experiences and great sa- tisfaction. After a hard day's work helping those in need, you also get a hug from a family member or neighbour. What more could you want?

Why have you now considered being in politics?

After being a member of a political party, but without real conviction, I met the Partido Popular of Manilva candidate, José Manuel Fernández, who explained to me what was happening in the party at the local level and offered me and another colleague the opportunity to participate in the new team, and since that day I have been working side by side with the PP project to build a new and better Manilva.

Do you consider that the Partido Popular is the political alternative for Manilva...

Undoubtedly, for this reason I am on board, not only do I think so, but I am convinced that it is the only political alternative for the municipality and for which the people have to hope. The PP has a great project, with innovative ideas and alternatives, investing in youth with an Employment Plan for young people, thinking about the well-being of our senior citizens with plans to reconcile the lives of families (who are so forgotten), also for a tourist and cultural development, improve public security and many other ideas that will be reflected in the electoral programme. Win quality of life for all our neighbours. The urbanisations have been neglected...

We will put an end to the inequality between residents who live in the urban centre and those who live in urbanisations, and who currently don't receive the same services from the Council.

What do you think of the current politicians who govern Manilva?

It is always the same, I have been working in the Town Council for 24 years, and the same faces continue. They have made politics their way of life and their work, creating a network of political cronies to stay in their seats. They have their backs to the people, they do not listen to the clamour, they have no project and they are satisfied with merely collecting their salaries.

Do you see a future for Manilva with the Compromiso pact and PSOE?

It would be more of the same, without projects or initiatives, lack of new public services, they will continue to do badly what they have been offering for 20 years. With them, Manilva has no future and I use the expression that I have been hearing from people for a long time “this way the train will never reach Manilva”.

Do you think that there is fear in the people to express their political opinion?

It is the consequence of the policy that is implanted, that of fear. This is a relatively small town, and many of the local residents' employment situation, or that of a family member. depends on the Council. This is what local politicians play on, penalising people for your ideas. We have many people imprisoned by a few. The time has come to lose that fear of repressive and anti-democratic politics.

Will Manilva vote for the Partido Popular?

Of course they will, when they see the electoral programme of the PP headed by Jose Manuel Fernández. In municipal elections you don't vote left or right, you vote for the team of people. The current PP of Manilva is a party with new blood. We already know the old, stale politics to which the PSOE, Compromiso and the United Left itself have accustomed us. If we want progress and a new way of doing politics to turn the municipality into a leading town, the votes have to favour the Partido Popular, it is the only and best possible option.

The most popular mayor in Spain is “the Mentor of the Candidacy of the Popular Party”

Jose María García Urbano is the Mayor of Estepona, with impeccable and honest management, which has taken his town's name to the highest national and international levels and is sponsoring the project of the new team in Manilva. We only have to look at the neighbouring town, which is proof that we can do better than the current political parties that govern our municipality. If we look in that mirror, and its management model, I'm sure we can achieve the necessary quality of life, and now we have the opportunity!