Reactions to the Government’s announcement about the call for a constituent They were not long in coming from the business world, which considers it a damage to the economy, because they will not be able to achieve it, but it generates uncertainty and distrust in the country’s economy.
He director of Fedesarrollo, Luis Fernando Mejíaindicated that the discussion introduces a new factor of economic uncertainty. “What is required is stability in the rules of the game, clear signals so that the investment can return. Fortunately, we believe that the announcement will not have real consequences because the times are tight, but the mere discussion opens an additional door of uncertainty that is not convenient for the Colombian economy.”, he noted.
(Besides: Petro Government presents project to convene a National Constituent Assembly).
Mejía explained that the financial market does not foresee an immediate impact on the indicators, although the country risk could be marginally affected. “The market internalizes this more as a political campaign announcement and not as something that can materialize. In that sense, there should not be a large implication from the point of view of economic figures”, he indicated.
President Gustavo Petro
EFE
The economist specified “The fiscal situation that the next government will receive will probably be the worst in modern history” and therefore, “the space to improve the allocation of resources will be limited.””.
He promised not to become a constituent’: Andi
He president of the National Association of Businessmen of Colombia (Andi), Bruce Mac Masterquestioned the Government’s decision and criticized President Petro’s change of position regarding his promise not to call a Constituent Assembly.
In X he wrote: “And now a #Constituent Assembly? The same Constituent Assembly that had promised not to convene. Colombia, in the opinion of many, has one of the most modern constitutions, protector of the most vulnerable citizens and guarantee of the planet”.
(You may be interested in: Defense of the ’91 Constitution frames criticism of a constituent’s proposal).
He added that “It seems that this bothers them and they want to modify it. Surely it will be to limit freedoms and allow things that are not allowed today”.
Bruce Mac Master, president of Andi.
César Melgarejo / El Tiempo
For its part, Adriana Guillén, president of Asocajas —the union of family compensation funds— said that there is a marked tendency, not only in Colombia but in Latin America and the world, to use constitutional narratives to evade the systems of checks and balances typical of democracy.
“The 1991 Constitution established precisely the mechanisms that must be activated to go directly to popular power, to the primary constituent, and ask them what they want. These mechanisms are provided for in the Constitution of ’91. Before, they did not exist“, said.
‘Vulgar copy of Maduro 2017’: Fenalco
He president of Fenalco, Jaime Alberto Cabaldescribed the Constituent Assembly project presented by the government as “a vulgar copy of the constituent promoted by Nicolás Maduro in 2017”.
“The proposal of a constituent without limits, exclusive and with clear totalitarian pretensions, represents a direct threat to the current constitutional order and the balance of powers that sustains our democracy.”, he stated.
(Continue reading: ‘The Constitution is respected’: objections to the project to convene a constituent assembly).
Cabal warned that the Government, by not having the majorities in the Congress of the Republicfaces an adverse legislative scenario that suggests shelving this initiative with dictatorial reach. However, he denounced that, given the absolute absence of management, The Executive intends to divert public attention towards an unnecessary and unrealizable constituent, and towards its irresponsible confrontations with the Government of the United States. It’s a new smokescreenhe asserted.
Jaime Alberto Cabal, president of Fenalco
EL TIEMPO Archive
“The dream of taking Colombia along the path that led to Venezuela under the regime of Chávez and Maduro is nothing more than another delusion of a government given over to improvisation and confrontation and insult.”Cabal added.
He also called “to all Colombians to defend democracy, institutions and the republican pact enshrined in the 1991 Constitution”.
‘Better to build a country’: Camacol
Builders are concerned about the possible effects on institutional stability and investment. They indicated that they do not consider it advisable to promote a process of this type in the current context, and They warned that the discussion introduces new elements of uncertainty in the midst of a challenging economic outlook..
(Further: ‘Government seeks to hide results of its mismanagement with the Constituent Assembly’: Camacol).
He president of the Colombian Chamber of Construction (Camacol), Guillermo Herreraheld: “I think the important thing here is to respect and continue supporting the Constitution of 1991. This is not the time for constituents, there is no spaceHerrera added that “It can be interpreted as irresponsible, precisely when what it seeks, it seems, is to hide the results of the Government’s mismanagement.”.
Guillermo Herrera, Executive President of Camacol
Courtesy
The builders agreed that the proposal generates uncertainty and distracts attention from productive priorities. A businessman, who asked not to reveal his name, said “We businessmen should not play that game, our game is to build a country, continue generating work and progress for our most vulnerable populations.”he explained.
The times do not fit for the Constituent Assembly
The 1991 Constitutionestablishes that both the Senate and the House of Representatives approve a convocation law with an absolute majority (53 senators and 94 representatives). Then, that law must be reviewed by the Constitutional Court, which decides whether it complies with the limits of the current order and only after that endorsement, the country could vote in a national referendum where at least 12.9 million citizens should say “Yeah” to enable the Assembly. If that threshold is reached, the delegates in charge of drafting the new constitutional text would be elected.
The Electoral Observation Mission (MOE)specified that there is no alternative path to that established by the Charter of ’91. In other words, a Constituent Assembly by decree would not have legal validity.
PORTFOLIO
