The Mais Santa Cruz coalition has criticised statements by the mayor of Santa Cruz, Élia Ascensão, accusing her of playing the victim and creating an artificial political conflict instead of presenting concrete solutions.
The coalition argues that the mayor confused the powers of the municipal executive with those of the Madeira Regional Legislative Assembly. The PSD councillors stressed that legislative changes fall within parliament's remit and cannot be settled by motions approved at a council meeting.
The coalition also asked why JPP regional deputies had never tabled a concrete legislative proposal on the matter, eight years after the national law was approved, and questioned how well the party governing the municipality coordinates with its own representatives. Mais Santa Cruz says it will keep defending residents but refuses to take part in what it calls political propaganda.