This Friday, March 11, is not only the change of command between the current President, Sebastian Pinera and the future president, Gabriel Boric, but also the person who will lead the Senate in its first term must be elected. The name will come from Chile Vamos, after an administrative agreement between the opposition and the current ruling party.
This has been a problem for the current ruling party, since there are doubts about the name that will be on the front of the Senate. The dispute is between the parliamentarians, Manuel Jose Ossandon -RN’s letter- and Juan Antonio Coloma -letter from the UDI-.
But the disputes between the parties began last week, when the UDI indicated that they wanted the Socialist Party to lead in this first process. This is because they believe that the left or center left will be better prepared to face the debate in the Constitutional Convention.
Senator Ossandón has been annoyed by the situation, accusing that they want to lower him by administrative means, due to his “unruly” political profile.
Negotiations stalled
From the ruling party they affirmed that the negotiations are paralyzed, because they are waiting for the center-left and the left to reach an internal agreement. The position of the Christian Democracy (DC) can change the scenario, clarify from the right.
From the phalanx itself they admit that there are complications in the negotiations. “They have been cornering the DC, they have been undervaluing it (…) we want to continue having a good relationship with the parties of the left and the center-left, but apparently there are other plans here (…) if I were a president (of the Senate ) oblivious to the center-left, Ossandón would be the best card”, indicated the senator-elect DC Ivan Flowers to Radio BioBio.
In this line, from the right they clarify that they are divided 50/50 between Ossandón and Coloma. This is because of the 24 senators that Chile Vamos has, 12 are with the RN and 12 with the unionist.
Iván Moreira (UDI) was concerned about not reaching an agreement. “Time is up, because the fatal deadline is this Thursday,” he warned.
Meanwhile, from RN, its president, Francisco Chahuán, spoke, expressing that “our party hopes that the presidency of the Senate for the first year corresponds to Chile Vamos and, in particular, to RN, which has the largest bench, and we have supported to Senator Ossandón in that approach”.
In addition, from Renovación Nacional there is the fear that the conglomerate arrives divided at the vote on Friday.
From the Independent Democratic Union they believe that they will arrive united to the vote that will define the administrative agreement.
“We are not going to decide if it is Ossandón or Coloma in the Chamber. Let’s get there earlier with a definition. That we agreed what we are negotiating. We are 12 and 12 and that is precisely why we have to find the best way to define the period, by common agreement, and the name for that period by common agreement. We are not going to arrive on Friday with two candidates. I say it categorically: it is not going to be like that, ”he told T13.CL the senator, Claudio Alvarado.
Having a united Senate for the right is vital, as they lost many seats in the last parliamentary elections in the Lower House, so having control in the Upper House gives them more chances of influencing the national debate.
