The secretary general of the National Renewal (RN) Diego Schalper was in favor of the UDI proposal, from where they slipped the idea of a new constituent process based on the possibility of a victory for the Rejection in the exit plebiscite, as a signal that the guild likewise wants changes. In that sense, the deputy RN stated that from his sector they also have to give “concrete signs” that the current Constitution “no longer gives for more.”
The UDI proposal generated various reactions in the political world. This, because as a sign of confidence, the president of the party, Javier Macaya, was in favor of lowering the quorum to 2/3 to facilitate constitutional reforms. The gauntlet thrown down by Macaya on this last point was picked up —for example— by the president of the Senate, Álvaro Elizalde (PS), who called on them to “do it” and not just “be words”.
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“We have to empathize with thousands of Chileans who opted for a constitutional process and who feel disappointed in a Convention that preferred to make a government program for a minority rather than a future Constitution for all Chileans,” said Diego Schalper, in conversation with Third.
The parliamentarian assured that “while the conventional leftists impose the 2/3 in the transitory provisions and close doors, what we have to do from Congress is open them.”
And consulted about the support for lowering the quorum, Deputy Schalper stressed that “I see it the other way around.” And he explained: “not seeing that there is an impetus for changes, which must be taken care of, is playing into the hands of a radical and refoundational look.”
“It is necessary to distinguish very clearly the text of the Convention from the constitutional change. For the same reason, as a sector we have to give concrete signals that this current Constitution is no longer enough and that the constitutional change is going yes or yes,” Schalper sentenced.
Deputy RN also criticized some members of the Constitutional Convention. He stated: “while we see a Fernando Atria worried about putting locks that prevent Congress from carrying out his work, what we are pushing from the center-right is the opposite, opening doors.”
“This is like a builder who has to deliver the house and is afraid that the owners will come in and realize that it is full of blunders. This shows that there is a sector of the Convention that has a refounding and authoritarian outlook”, he added.
