A LACK of fair and equal representation of all regional câmaras was given as the reason for Carlos Tuta, president of Monchique Câmara, leaving the Algarve’s câmara association last week.
Tuta used the meeting between Área Metropolitana do Algarve (AMAL), the association that represents the interests of the 16 câmaras of the Algarve and the Minister for Employment and Social Security, Vieira da Silva, as an opportunity to announce his departure from the entity.
He criticised AMAL President, Macário Correia, for using the organisation for self promotion and a vehicle to improve the conditions of Tavira, where Correia resides as câmara president.
Tuta, who was the founder of AMAL, as well as its first president from 1992 to 2002, when it was known as the Associação de Municípios do Algarve, criticised the current president’s lack of communication with some of the other members.
He said that on several occasions, Correia had informed him of important issues and upcoming events at short notice and, as a result, his daily duties were disrupted, he was left unprepared and unable to work to the best of his abilities.
Final insult
After announcing his departure from AMAL, and the reasons behind his decision, he added that he was not notified of the meeting between all the câmara presidents and the Minister for the Environment, Francisco Nunes Correia, regarding the construction of a reservoir in Odelouca.
As the representative for the 16 câmaras at Águas do Algarve, the body responsible for water management in the region, he saw this as a final insult from Correia.
He described AMAL as an entity which no longer worked to improve the conditions of all the câmaras in the Algarve and community funds were continuously being mismanaged and distributed to less deserving projects in the Algarve. Tuta also said there was a great deal of discussion at AMAL meetings, but little was ever resolved.
According to Tuta, being a member of AMAL hindered the development of Monchique. He is still awaiting approval from AMAL for the allocation of funds to construct a primary school in the area. He said he was prevented from using community funds and believed other câmara projects were deliberately favoured over his.
Tuta, a member of the socialist party, accused Correia of offering extra support and distributing more funds from AMAL to câmaras which are governed by the same social democratic political party as Correia.
These statements were dismissed by Correia, who said that he would not comment on this subject because it was undignified.
