This weekend marked a significant moment for the governing coalition in Uruguay, as both the National Party and the Independent Party (IP) They held their conventions to ratify their presidential formulas.
On Sunday, the Independent Party, led by former Labor Minister Pablo Mieres, took the opportunity to launch harsh Criticism towards Yamandú Orsithe presidential candidate of the Broad Front.
During his speech, Mieres questioned Orsi’s campaign strategy, which focuses on the concept of “honesty”For Mieres, honesty is “the zero point that must be asked of anyone,” implying that it is not sufficient as a political proposal.
The leader of the IP recalled the slogan of the Frente Amplio from 2009, “honest government, first-class country”, to highlight the failures and alleged cases of corruption during the administration of José Mujica, pointing out the poor performance of public companies and the resignation of Vice President Raúl Sendic due to corruption.
Mieres insisted that being honest means having clear proposals. He criticised Orsi for “not offering specific solutions” in key areas such as education, security and social security. According to Mieres, “honesty is also telling people what you want to do”stating that the lack of clear proposals from the Broad Front is a cause for concern.
Mieres’ speech: Criticism and more criticism of the Frente Amplio
The leader of the PI called the decision of the Frente Amplio to allow Orsi and his followers to have freedom of action regarding the PIT-CNT plebiscite that seeks to annul the pension reform “barbaric.” For Mieres, this position reveals a “lack of honesty” in avoiding such a crucial debate.
In the current political context, the Independent Party faces significant challenges. According to the latest survey by Equipos Consultores, the PI has only 1% of voting intention.
The study, conducted in August 2024, shows a slight drop in support for the Frente Amplio, which fell from 44% to 43%, and for the Partido Nacional, which fell from 26% to 22%. Meanwhile, the Partido Colorado experienced slight growth, advancing from 9% to 11%.
The multi-coloured coalition, of which the IP is a part, remains behind the Broad Front, 37% to 43% respectively, while the percentage of undecided voters rises from 12% to 15%.
