This Thursday, at 10:00 a.m., the session will begin in the Chamber of Deputies and Deputies to discuss the constitutional accusation against the Minister of Social Development, Giorgio Jackson. On Wednesday, the review commission – which was made up of three pro-government parliamentarians and two from the opposition – issued an unfavorable report on the libel against the Secretary of State. With this procedure in his favor, both Minister Jackson and the Government in general will risk everything for everything in the previous question, thus avoiding the accusation going to the Senate, where it could take flight due to the bad relations that Jackson reaped. during his time at the Segpres.
The deputy and head of the Christian Democracy bench, Eric Aedo, illustrated it this Wednesday in Radio Pattern. Faced with the possibility that the libel against Minister Jackson would advance, he assured that he “represents the person who wanted to eliminate the Senate. It is requested by the Senate (…). If the accusation against Jackson is approved, I have no doubt that it will be ratified in the Senate,” said Deputy Aedo.
For the accusation to become effective, an absolute majority of those present is required. If there is a full turnout, it means that the action promoted by the Republican Party would be approved with 78 votes. The ruling party – which is expected to be aligned – has the support of 70 deputies. The opposition, on the other hand, with 74 votes, and it is already known that there are some legislators who would not favor libel, either by voting against or by abstaining.
The talks between the Government and representatives of the Lower House have been held throughout the week. It was possible to see in Parliament the Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Ana Lya Uriarte, together with Minister Jackson in the session in the Senate Chamber for the approval of the dignified, active and healthy aging project, an instance that was used to corridor conversations with parliamentarians, both pro-government and opposition.
In addition, from the Executive they have not lost the opportunity to declare that the accusation arising from the Republican Party lacks legal and political support: “We have established a series of conversations with different parliamentarians to reaffirm as a Government our position of unrestricted support for the minister Jackson. Meanwhile, the facts that the Republican Party has tried to frame in a constitutional accusation as infractions of a legal nature, are not such,” said Minister Uriarte, on Wednesday morning.
In addition, and as part of his defense strategy, Minister Giorgio Jackson announced that he will invoke the previous question, so that the accusation is dismissed without discussing its merits. It is a mechanism that questions the arguments of the constitutional accusation and states that it does not meet the regulatory conditions to be carried out. If this instance is approved, the “funds” of the libel is not analyzed and, therefore, the accusation will be deemed not filed. Regarding the deadlines, this Thursday, starting at 10:00 a.m., the Lower House will debate the previous question and, eventually, the merits of the accusation. To approve, a majority of the parliamentarians present is required, and if so, it will go to the Senate, so that it acts as a jury to resolve the matter, by means of a two-thirds quorum vote.
With 3 votes against, 1 in favor and 1 abstention –by UDI deputy Joaquín Lavín–, yesterday the review commission dispatched the accusation against the head of the Ministry of Social Development with a negative report. In relation to this, the head of the Socialist Party bench, Marcos Ilabaca, explained that “the presentation of deputy Lavín has shown that there is clearly no legal or political basis”, in relation to the libel that will be put to a vote this Thursday in the Chamber Room. It should be remembered that the vote of said commission is not binding, but is considered as a proposal to the Chamber, in this case to reject the constitutional accusation.
In this regard, Karol Cariola (PC), who was a member of the review commission, made reference to the abstention of his UDI opponent, Joaquín Lavín León, who abstained from approving the report: “The UDI deputy in this commission abstained, because did not consider that the arguments to support this constitutional accusation were sufficient.”
For her part, the deputy and former president of the Democratic Revolution, Catalina Pérez, joined the words of her pro-government counterpart and accused the Republican Party of presenting an accusation “that does not meet the minimum standard of use of these constitutional instruments, which which evidently challenges those who, beyond the opinion on the minister’s management, are respectful of the institutionality”. In addition, she believes that “part of the democratic right has distanced itself from this accusation.”
Negotiations regarding a possible fall of the accusation
While the review commission finished preparing its report this Wednesday, some opposition legislators began to make their vote transparent, such as deputy Christian Moreira (UDI), who reported that he would abstain, while rumors spread in the corridors of the National Congress that in National Renewal there could also be off-hooks. The main targets would be Eduardo Durán, Andrés Longton, Ximena Ossandón, Hugo Rey and Andrés Celis.
Deputy Durán publicly communicated the doubt, but emphasized that he will wait for the party’s determination this Thursday to make his decision. “The time is politically complicated, which does not give us the space to allow this. The Executive is fighting with the Judiciary, with Parliament, and continuing to stress the environment in these conditions does not seem the most appropriate to me. The causes have little support, but I will make the decision tomorrow, ”he pointed out.
In the Chamber it is commented that it is very difficult for the opposition to have the necessary votes, and several take it for granted that the accusation against Jackson will be dropped even in its first stage –the previous question–. From RN they assure, as a bench, that they are going to reject the previous question. In this case, if it goes to the bottom, they will have a meeting to make a decision as a bench, which will probably – they advance – be to approve the constitutional accusation.
Parliamentarians from the same store assure that Durán, Longton, Ossandón and Rey expressed doubts about approving the accusation from the beginning. However, there are those who warn that there may be consequences –such as losing commission positions– if, once the decision has been made as a bench, they opt for the opposite path. There are even those who affirm that one of those who could reject the libel would have been asked to leave the Chamber during the vote, so as not to harm the aligned vote of the rest of his bench.
Inside Renovación Nacional they explain that they see the accusation against Minister Giorgio Jackson as an ideological blow to the Government, for being a person so close to the President of the Republic. However, at least if he were to reach the Senate, they believe that some parliamentarians from that party could consider rejecting it, with the aim of fulfilling a “responsible opposition role.”
However, from the Republican Party, warning voices have begun to emerge against the bench of National Renewal deputies, regarding the fact that their eventual picking up on the libel that is voted on this Thursday could affect the vote on the accusation against the authority of Government. This, considering the bad relations between Chile Vamos and the republicans as a result of several recent episodes, such as the support of some of the RN parliamentarians for the political agreement that gave way to the new constituent process.
La Moneda, for its part, expectantly awaits the result of this vote. And it is that during the afternoon of today Thursday, when it is projected that the decision of the Lower House will be known, President Gabriel Boric will head a political committee in the Presidential Palace of Cerro Castillo, in Viña del Mar, where the ministers of the Interior, Carolina Tohá; Segegob, Camila Vallejo; Treasury, Mario Marcel; Segpres, Ana Lya Uriarte; Work, Jeannette Jara; and Women and Gender Equity, Antonia Orellana
Another fate, they say, is what the former Minister of Justice, Marcela Ríos, could face when the constitutional accusation presented by Chile Vamos against her is voted on, which will be voted on on Wednesday, January 25. This, because they explain that it would not make sense to reject an accusation presented by the coalition of which they are part, and because this libel’s main objective is to take advantage of the statements that the former Secretary of State will give to gather information about untidiness in the selection and announcement process. of pardons, with the ultimate goal being to pressure the government to annul, at least, the pardons for Juan Castillo and ex-frontist Jorge Mateluna.
