Live: challenges complicate the first debate on the pension reform

After the failed attempt this Wednesday to start the debate on the pension reform in Commission VII of the Senate, a session was again convened for this Thursday. And after reaching the decision quorum, could start the discussion of the project.

However, part of the day was entangled by a series of recusals received by several parliamentarians, forcing it to be stopped for about three hours and only able to resume until 7:00 pm.

It is worth remembering that the first attempt to start the debate was frustrated due to the lack of a quorum, due to the absence of half of the senators of the Commission.

(Also read: Pension reform: there was no quorum, the first debate attempt was lifted.)

For nearly two hours, the congressmen questioned the way in which the session was called, which was scheduled for 9:00 am, since the call was sent around 11:55 pm on Wednesday.

Senator Fabián Díaz, vice president of the Commission, and who chaired the board of directors, made a call “the opposition parties and all the members of the commission to be present, in order to give the debate“.

Díaz, assured that all the guarantees have been given, public hearings have been held and “all voices have been heard”and reiterated that the Commission has been characterized by responding to the public.

From the Centro Democrático party, Senator Alirio Barrera, questioned the way in which the space was called. “At 12:00 pm I received the information that we would appear today at 9:00 am. When a commission session closes at 10:00 a.m. due to a lack of quorum, we ask questions all day, and then at midnight it is called,” said.

Subsequently, the rapporteur coordinator of the project, the senator of the Historical Pact, Martha Peralta Epieyú, made the presentation of the positive presentation for the pension reform.

(Read also: Key points that remain in the presentation of the pension reform.)

According to the senator, for the construction of the project there were about 20 technical meetings and four hearings and the congresswoman assured that “most articles are agreed upon”there is 11 articles without agreements8 with partial agreements, 44 with agreements and 29 articles without proposals or modifications.

“We are not looking for a law that has to be reformed in four years, but one that is sustainable over time, that is legally sustainable, but also economically and financially“, he assured.

When the reading and voting of the impedimentsseveral of the congressmen received recusalsrelated to possible benefits from the pension reform, for which reason the session had to be suspended for about three hours.

The Minister of the Interior, Luis Fernando Velasco, who was present at the event, criticized the arguments that were presented in the challenges and said that many are not related to direct benefits.

“These arguments are not logical, they do not want us to debate, this is parliamentary ‘filibustering’, and it is not letting Congress address the substance of what it has to address“, said.

LAURA LUCIA BECERRA ELEJALDE
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