CANDIDATE number three for new left-wing independent party Podemos, Juan Carlos Monedero, has resigned from 'all his roles' within the team over 'differences of opinion' and partly due to criticism from supporters in light of concerns over his tax declarations.
Monedero has been in charge of the electoral programme – Podemos is gunning for the regional and national elections, but not local council seats, although some branches of the party are standing under different names – and was one of the three founder members along with Íñigo Errejón, at number two, and leader Pablo Iglesias, a 36-year-old university lecturer in politics who earned less than €1,000 a month and lived in a rented flat with his dog when Podemos won five European Parliament seats last May.
The outgoing candidate has been the subject of controversial headlines over six-figure sums earned for advisory work in Venezuela which had allegedly not been declared to the tax authorities.
He was ordered to file a supplementary tax declaration and, in light of ongoing corruption cases surrounding members of the current reigning PP government and Podemos' drive to be the party which was most representative of the ordinary taxpayer, Monedero's situation did not go down well with some of his colleagues and supporters.
But it is not clear whether fears he would tarnish the 'clean and transparent' image of the party were among the reasons that provoked his decision to leave.
Monedero was said to have criticised some of Podemos' strategies, and leader Pablo Iglesias says of his colleague's resignation: “Perhaps Juan Carlos isn't a 'political party' man; he's an intellectual who needs to spread his wings.”
Iglesias says he and Monedero had agreed amicably over the latter's departure, and for Monedero to continue working behind the scenes for Podemos 'without the pressure' or the 'milestone around his neck' of 'organisational responsibilities'.
“Our friendship and working together will continue,” Iglesias insists.
He admitted, when asked by reporters, that he 'did not share' some of Monedero's views, but that this 'did not change the fact they are enormously valuable'.
“Monedero's critical approach is crucial for me and for us as a party – we need this critical stance, and we need Juan Carlos to spread his wings and have a lot more freedom to do what he does best, and to hit the nail on the head about things.
“Of course Juan Carlos has had to suffer – in politics, when you are working to protect people rather than the powers that be, you run these risks, and Juan Carlos has had to go through difficult situations – the most complicated situations possible.”
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