The duo that heads the Constitutional Convention, composed of President Elisa Loncon and Vice President Jaime Bassa, has been permanently under the focus of criticism from the right that has questioned its handling during these weeks of installation of the constituent body.
But in this scenario, there are voices on the right that put cold cloths and stand out from the critical tone, such as the conventional evópoli Hernán Larraín Matte, who admits that “the table has gone from less to more, they have been finding more and more the tone”.
In an interview with El Mostrador in La Clave, Hernán Larraín Matte admitted that “we had a difficult start,” but little by little the work has been channeled. “The commissions are being installed or some are already in full operation, where already the vociferous speeches begin to go down and there is a much more respectful treatment (…) We are starting to see results,” he said.
Specifically, regarding the criticisms by Teresa Marinovic (close to the Republican Party) and Marcela Cubillos (UDI), Larraín Matte has a nuance. Although he believes that the questions are legitimate, because “part of the Convention is to say the things that are not done well, in order to correct them,” he maintained that these criticisms must be “accompanied by collaborations, I am not one of those who remain in the mere denunciation,” he said, distancing himself from two of the most controversial voices of the right within the Convention.
With regard to the role of the Board of Directors, the former president of Evópoli highlights that in general terms “they have done well, of course they have made mistakes, the first vote that defined some rules for the vice presidency was extraordinarily disorderly, there are no records, then there were statements such as the one made by President Loncon that in the morning in the session invites us all to collaborate , he talks about love, but then in the evening he makes a very harsh criticism of our sector”.
But he notes that the table has “increasingly found the tone.” Now they have taken on a driving responsibility, there are beginning to be many more successes than mistakes, and they admitted that they must “be impartial,” he said.
The formula for the vice presidency
In this scenario, the decision of the Loncon-Bassa duo to play for a formula of election by sponsorships for the election of the vice presidencies was key, which ensures the inclusion of the right, despite the objections of other sectors within the constituent body, which were looking for a papal formula, admits Larraín Matte.
“The formula proposed by the table, which we also find valuable, what it does is that different minorities can also be represented and in that way collaboration becomes a logic, and I and several others, we are pushing because
we believe that this is what the Convention requires most in order to be able to enter as early as possible to discuss the contents,” he said, specifying that the table’s proposal guarantees a “criterion of pluralism, diversity and inclusion.”
Regarding yesterday’s vote, in which the amendment of the Social Movements, List of the People and Chile Digna, who wanted a papal vote, was rejected, Larraín Matte stressed that there were 92 votes that rejected this indication. And part of that result went through “informal conversations between different coordinators (…) and that goes through conversations in which one speaks with the Broad Front, with the PS, and with Non-Neutral Independents, also with the Mesa itself.” However, he ruled out the possibility that the sector could keep two vice presidents, as denounced by some members of the People’s List.
Chile Vamos’s quota
Within Vamos por Chile, despite the initial resistance to forming a vice presidency, the UDI finally asserted its majority and notified that they will present former minister and former senator Rodrigo Alvarez (UDI) with 21 signatures.
Larraín Matte confirmed this name, and stresses that Álvarez is an “open, rational, dialoguing, horizontal UDI, which I am sure will collaborate with the different groups and has demonstrated this in all his speeches.”
“I am sure that Rodrigo Álvarez will be a contribution in the event that he becomes vice president (…) He was head of the UDI bloc for 6 years in the Chamber of Deputies and was president of the (lower) Chamber. That experience, for this position, is ordinarily relevant because it has to do with knowledge for the functioning of the Convention,” he said.
“There were other names tamwell, finally the criterion of majorities prevailed, which is quite reasonable, is typical of democracy, some people were there not so happy, but I think it is part of the process,” he said, alluding to the discomfort expressed by some constituents of RN with the definition.
Larraín Mate added that the remaining 16 firms in the sector will collaborate so that people from other political blocs remain on the Board of Directors. This decision will be made as a sector and they will support someone who “can be a contribution up there because they are going to be even-handed, because they are going to seek collaboration and not conflict, because they are going to treat all sectors equally because they are going to respect the rules,” he said.
Regarding the balance of forces within Chile Vamos, Larraín Matte explains that the youngest are the most proactive, “and those who most easily cross, on the other side and talk.” But he added that there are many people who have gotten to know each other, “who are understanding this process of talking, making bridges,” that is to say with a more dialoguing spirit.
“When the time comes to discuss the contents we will see the will of all sectors, because here the collaboration so that everything results has to be reciprocal and transversal, the 2/3 force 104 votes to be gathered and that is extraordinarily demanding, “he concluded.
Check out the interview here:
