In León, Spain, members of the Socialist Party (PSOE) from the Riaño-Picos de Europa and Crémenes regions are alleging the arbitrary dissolution of their local groupings by the provincial Executive led by Javier Alfonso Cendón, who is seeking re-election.

The dissolution has reportedly prevented these members from participating in the upcoming PSOE primary elections set for Sunday, where Cendón faces off against his contender, Diego Moreno.

Claims have been made by the disgruntled members that the disbandment occurred shortly after their majority endorsement of Moreno's candidacy.

The affected members express feeling 'ashamed' of what they describe as an opaque, irresponsible, and undemocratic action by Cendón's provincial Executive.

They raise questions regarding the real motives behind the dissolutions, asserting that both groupings fulfill the required number of active members and continue to pay their dues.

The Riaño-Picos de Europa group has been declared 'peculiar' due to a lack of leadership following the resignation of its secretary five years ago.

Members contend that they have repeatedly requested the provincial Executive, particularly the Organization Secretary Nuria Rubio, to establish a management committee to facilitate new leadership elections, which has not occurred.

As the current primary process began, inquiries were made by Riaño-Picos de Europa members regarding voting arrangements, only to be informed that their assembly had been dissolved the previous month and that they were now classified as 'direct affiliates.' This change denies them the right to vote in these elections and in any internal processes that are not national in scope.

Similarly, members from the Crémenes assembly expressed astonishment at their absence from the electoral table constitution.

These grievances have been formally raised with the provincial, regional, and national PSOE bodies; however, responses have been minimal, with only regional officials acknowledging receipt of the complaints and indicating that they would forward the information to the federal level.

Members have also approached the Ethics and Guarantees Committee, urging it to either pause the electoral process until the issues are resolved or allow them to vote in the nearest municipal assembly.

Thus far, no resolution has been reported.

According to PSOE regulations, the Organization Secretary of the Federal Executive Committee may disband a group with fewer than five members, with prior consultation from the relevant provincial or regional Executives.

A formal resolution must outline the new affiliations for affected members, notifying them so they can request transfer to a preferred assembly.

Members assert these protocols have not been respected.

In response, the PSOE of León refutes the allegations made by the Riaño and Crémenes members.

They assert that the Crémenes assembly has not had the necessary five members to maintain its status as a group and that Riaño has been inactive since the resignation of its leaders several years prior.

The party’s representatives emphasize that the statutes stipulate groups lacking the required membership cannot maintain their organizational status.

In defending their position, they assert that the claims regarding the number of disenfranchised members are inaccurately represented, particularly noting discrepancies in the affiliations of those who signed the letter of complaint.