From the Government they hope to make a decision promptly, in the context of an election that has not been without difficulties, after the first proposal of President Gabriel Boric for the position, prosecutor José Morales, became the first candidate in be rejected, in the absence of two endorsements. To this end, the Executive maintains dialogue with the various parliamentary sectors, understanding that the President must finally choose a candidate among the five applicants (three from the old quina and two new ones, chosen by the Supreme Court): Ángel Valencia, Marta Herrera, Carlos Palma, Nayalet Mansilla and Juan Agustin Melendez.
After President Boric makes his decision, the Senate will have five calendar days to vote on the nomination. In this context, already waiting for the session this afternoon in the Constitution commission in the Senate
– Do you share the vision of Senator Iván Flores that the judiciary is responsible for the setbacks in this process?
-I don’t know what Iván’s background is, but from my role as president of the Senate Constitution Committee, I believe that the Supreme Court has carried out its mission correctly. He heard all the candidates for National Prosecutor within the deadline in a public and transparent manner; I have the greatest respect for the quina, I think that they are generally prosecutors and lawyers with a lot of experience, and as regards the closed agreement that was reached in the name of José Morales, proposed by President Boric, I believe that the Supreme Court acted accordingly. by law, with good judgment, understanding the speed required for the country to have an empowered National Prosecutor, and it seems to me that the Supreme Court did well by not calling a new contest that would have meant excessive delay in the process.
-What do you think of the candidates, and that one of them- Ángel Valencia- is accused of defending defendants for sexual crimes against minors?
-I understand that the trajectory of the candidates for national prosecutor, both for the cases they have investigated, as well as for the trials in which they have served and the people they have defended, is a matter of public interest. They are carrying out a task that is very important in the Judicial System, which is to guarantee the right to defense that all defendants have, but I understand the public interest that may be behind this accusation, and it seems good to me that they answer for the seriousness of the crimes of the defendants they defend, and that all candidates are subject to public scrutiny.
-How does the process continue in the coming days, pending President Boric’s decision? What is your willingness, from the Senate Constitution Committee, to contribute to the speed of said election?
-The process today is in the hands of the President of the Republic. As of Friday of last week, the President has a period of five days to make the nomination. We are waiting for what the President decides, as soon as the letter arrives from La Moneda, and today, for example, in the Senate room, regarding the session that we have in the afternoon for the renewal of the state of exception Constitutional in the Macrozone Southwe will only be in a position to summon the Constitution Commission this Tuesday.
-What are your main expectations for said session in the Constitution commission? Is there any instance of citizen participation in the process?
-Like the time that Prosecutor Morales exposed, but this time in Valparaíso, we are going to have an open session in the Senate session room, televised and open to the public, which any senator can attend. The previous hearing lasted five hours, all the senators were able to ask their questions, in parallel there is a period of citizen participation, in which any citizen can send – through a link to the Senate – what are their observations, comments and questions regarding to the candidate for National Prosecutor.
