Denied the support of Mayor Mohamed Khairullah in the June Democratic Primary, lame duck Prospect Park Councilwoman Cristina Peralta today pulled the plug on the remainder of her term on the council. Bucked off the governing body in the Democratic Primary by the Khairullah-backed Adnan Shah, Peralta today submitted her formal resignation amid backroom spasms between Khairullah and other council members. She was the second council member this week who opted out of continuing, following the weekend resignation letter handed in by Council President Richard Esquiche. “These past nine years as Councilwoman and public servant have been a blessing and source of great pride for my family, my community and I,” Peralta wrote. “However, at this moment, it is my desire to enjoy a greater amount of time with my family and children. “I would like to take this opportunity, however, to strongly reiterate that I hold the Arab and Muslim communities of Prospect Park, at the highest level of respect,” she added. “The Arab and Muslim communities were not only among my strongest supporters throughout my tenure as Councilwoman, but I enjoyed deep bonds of affection with these communities as my husband, children, nieces and nephews are of Arab-Dominican ancestry.” Peralta went on to express her gratitude to the citizens of Prospect Park for their vote of confidence. “I am grateful for the experiences and wealth of knowledge I acquired throughout my political career as a resident of Prospect Park and as a loyal Democrat,” she said.
