The growing possibility that Gustavo Penades be charged with sexual abuse of minors has led whites to think about some of the practical consequences that its absence will have on a day-to-day basis.
The senator declared this Thursday before the prosecutor Alicia Ghione and reiterated his innocence, pointing out that he did not regret anything because did not commit “any crime”but in the nationalist internal they visualize that their return to activity is very complex –even if not found guilty– so it is necessary “assume new roles”.
The definitive absence of Penadés is part of the usual conversations among whites who are in Parliament due to the influence that the senator had before the benchbut also as interlocutor with the rest of the political parties.
A nationalist senator recalled that Penadés was the president of the parliamentary group that brings together all legislators, a role in which it should be replaced, while another defined it as a “administrative manager” who was also in charge of much of the talks with the executive branch and political negotiations.
Ines Guimaraens
Whites discuss how to replace Penadés
In this sense, the whites visualize that the absence will become evident soon when the government sends its last Accountability at the end of Junesince the senator was specialized in budgetary issues and was part of the commission integrated with the treasury.
This project is usually one of the most complex to approve because it requires intense negotiations between the coalitionBesides having high technical components.
“We will have to get out of our comfort zone, because it will be difficult to replace,” mentioned a legislator, who considered that some of the tasks could fall on Vice President Beatriz Argimón while others on Jorge Gandini since it is one of those who have expertise on budget issues.
Argimón, for example, began to have a more active role in interparty coordination where communication with the Colorado Party, Cabildo Abierto and the Broad Front is carried out.
Beginnings of May, Penadés asked for a license in the Senate after a meeting of the white bench in which he had a exchange with Sebastián Da Silva and Graciela Bianchi.
The senator asked him that it was convenient that he advance the license since the subject had ceased to be personal and had started to affect the party, while Da Silva added that the situation “had changed” with respect to the first complaint by Romina Celeste Papasso, and that it was a “delicate” issue because it involved minors.
Penadés reiterated his “word of honor” emphasizing that nothing reported was true and accused da silva arrest prejudices based on their sexual orientation.
After requesting the license in the Senate, Penadés also requested a license in the National Party and Parlasur, where he is president. This last decision brought some practical problems recentlysince the charge he remained headlesswhich caused representatives of other countries expressed to white legislators who wanted to have one bilateral with the president of that body, but they learned that there would be “some problem” with that representation.
Penadés asked the bench to be relieved of the presidency of the organizationa position he has held since December 2022. In principle, the Senator Sergio Botana and Deputy Mario Colman they aspire to be the substitutes, reported La Diaria.
Impeachment in the Senate
After taking a statement, the Prosecutor must define if he requests his imputationfor which you will need the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) asks Parliament for the impeachment.
The note from the SCJ –with the case file– will enter the General Assembly and Vice President Beatriz Argimón defined in the last hours that it be the Senate, the chamber that deals with the case.
The doubt arose on Wednesday when edward lust raised on Twitter that the impeachment of Penadés had to be resolved by Deputiessince it had been elected titular by this chamber and substitute in the Senate.
The interpretation of Lust, who is a congressman and constitutional lawyer, was not shared by Parliament’s legal services nor for other constitutionalists such as José Korzeniak, Martín Risso or Jaime Sapolinski.
Ines Guimaraens
Penadés requested a license from the Senate
Article 114 of the Constitution states: “no senator or representative, from the day of his election to the day of his dismissal, may be charged criminally, not even for common crimes that are not those detailed in article 93, but before his respective chamber, which, by two-thirds of the votes of all its components, will decide whether there is room for the formation of cause, and, if so, will declare him suspended from his functions and will remain at the disposal of the competent court”.
Sapolinski said to The Observer that understood that the “respective chamber” is the one in which the legislator works at the time the request for impeachment arrives. “I think it is the most logical situation, to the extent that the person involved works in a chamber, even if it is temporary, that is what should be considered,” he argued.
The constitutional law professor gave as an example that if legislators charged different salaries, depending on the chamber they were part of, while he is in a certain chamber, he would be governed by the conditions that correspond to it. “Consistent with that reasoning, at the current situation I believe that the corresponding chamber is the Chamber of Senators.”
