Despite officialism’s efforts to curb the project that seeks to allow the withdrawal of 10% of the planned funds, the Chamber of Deputies finally approved, with 95 votes in favour, constitutional reform. The initiative is now making its way to the Senate and it is expected that tomorrow Friday, at 10.30am, the discussion will move to the Constitution Committee of the Upper House, where there are five key votes from Chile Vamos that will define the future of the project in the Senate.
So far there are three UDI senators who have declared the project “in reflection”. This is David Sandoval, Iván Moreira and José Miguel Durana. Mainly because “there are a lot of things to evaluate yet,” Sandoval told El Mercurio.
Moreira knows the importance of her vote and, for her part, she also said she was on reflection as in these minutes that are key to the public she does not accept “a climate of pressure, violence and threats to vote in one direction or another”. It should be noted that the helmsman of trade unionism, Jacqueline van Rysselberghe, said, after the vote in the Chamber of Deputies, that he waits in the Senate to be different and “let’s all act in line.”
In National Renewal (RN) the story is not very different. According to the morning, there are two parliamentarians whose preference is unknown and who could be misaligned with the official stance. This is Senator Juan Castro, who has said that he will not “receive pressure from the government” and that he will keep his vote secret, and Manuel José Ossandón, the fifth key vote, however, Senator RN is licensed by Covid-19 and his vote is not clear. Although, from La Moneda, they point out that it could align with their sector and reject the project.
The other two members of the Constitution Commission, Andrés Allamand (RN) and Víctor Pérez (UDI), have turned out against each other.
With five votes in doubt, “haste” is expected to be processed in the Senate. This was stated by the chairman of the Constitution Committee, Alfonso de Urresti (PS), who emphasized that they will make every effort to address this discussion, put it into a vote, bring it to the room and become law. Mp PS added that they will begin processing on Friday and that they could vote on the idea of legislating the bill next Monday.
Let us remember that one of the articles that was rejected in the House is the creation of a solidarity fund, which replenishes the money withdrawn by the contributors. According to senators from the center, the option will get a second chance.
