Beyond the pandemic, the economic and social crisis, and the busy political and legislative agenda, in National Renewal have their eyes set on the internal elections of the collective where the leadership of Mario Desbordes will be at stake.
And despite the articulation against Desbordes by party figures – such as Andrés Allamand, Carlos Larraín and MP Diego Schalper – who question him because of his stance in favour of rejection in the constituent plebiscite and his idea of opening the discussion in the withdrawal of planned funds, among the adherents of the helmsman is full conviction that the member will keep the party running.
This was pointed out by Senator RN Manuel José Ossandón, who in an interview with Meganoticias raised that in the next inmates the current helmsman will win by “far away”.
“90% of the ordinary RN militant supports the withdrawal of AFPs. So, Desbordes is going to win far, because he was able to interpret a need,” the senator said, who is also emphatic in pointing out that “RN is not as divided as it seems. There are leaders here who are divided.”
Ossandón is recovering from a second coronavirus infection, but this week he took part in the vote on the withdrawal of funds in the upper house where he surrendered his vote in favor. On the contrary, Allamand was one of the faces of the rejection of the project, and during the course he tried unsuccessfully to raise the approval quorum and threatened until the last minute to bring the matter to the Constitutional Court.
“We fell into ideological dogmatsms”
Regarding the approval of the withdrawal project, Ossandón stated that “the Government demonstrated a lack of experience and, per best, excessive dogmatism”. “I think we fell into ideological dogmatisms to defend models about anything. And those who don’t understand that will lead us to disaster,” he added.
In this line he noted that “I cannot understand how the Government and many parliamentarians in my sector did not realize that 90% of Chileans needed financial aid.”
In his view, “this will serve us to reflect, that in these years, as political entities, we are farer from the opportunity to give Chile long-lasting stability.”
“I cannot understand that the government did not walk a block and did not understand that this was not only an economic exercise, it was to open up to a great deal. That’s why the coming plebiscite is essential,” he added.
In a critical tone of his sector, the parliamentarian stated that “my sector has to recognize that Chile has changed”, and that “the model must be corrected. Just as it is, in a dogmatic defense, it’s going to end badly.”
“In October the people who came out, those millions of people, are upset and need a new social pact, which starts with a new Constitution,” he added.
“Pure musical chairs”
Regarding a possible cabinet change, a thesis that has been installed forcefully following the failure of the government with the withdrawal of funds, Senator RN raised that “the changes are made by the President.” “Here the team that negotiated all this (the 10% withdrawal) lacked political experience. But those of us who know how the government works, we know who cuts the president,” he added.
However, he warned that “the last two or three cabinet changes have been pure musical chairs”, so he stated that “more than changing cabinets the one who has to make the reflection is the President, self-convincing that Chile changed, that the plebiscite goes and that the change in Chile goes and that the model must be corrected. And just as it is, in a dogmatic defense it’s going to end badly.”
What it believed is the discussion on reform of the pension system. “Everyone knows that the issue of our pensions needs to be profoundly reformed, with a mixed system,” he said.
