The second attempt to start the discussion of the pension reform project in the Seventh Commission of the Senate of the Republic, yesterday, it was not easy.
A good part of the day, scheduled for 9 in the morning on Thursday, was devoted to discussions about the legality in the way the session was called and the challenges that throughout the day were coming against various legislators.
(Also read: Pension reform: the points that continue to worry experts and AFP)
Ministry of Labor
Thus, after more than seven hours, from the moment they prepared to form the decision-making quorum (11 in the morning) to start the debate on the articles of one of the key projects for the countrythat discussion remained frozen.
The session restarts with the vote on the impediments and after more than nine hours of discussionThe Seventh Committee of the Senate held a presentation for the first debate on the bill yesterday and scheduled a new session for Tuesday.
And it is that the day did not start well, since some senators denounced defects in the way in which the session was called, which was done at the stroke of midnight on Wednesday (11:59 pm) and using inappropriate channels, such as a group chatwhen the norm requires that it be through the regular established channels, such as the corporation’s mail.
(Also read: Do your math: this is how a pension would look if the Petro Government reform is approved)
Jose Alirio Barrera and Honorio Miguel Henríquez, from the Democratic Center, were also emphatic in needing the president of Commission VII, Fabián Díaz, from the Alianza Verde Party, and its secretary, the certifications of hours and authorizations to have carried out the summons of the commission in the conditions in which it was carried out.
Once this obstacle was overcome, the session became entangled again due to the issue of challenges, in response to which the consultation of the Senate Ethics Commission was requested to clarify the doubts that had arisen, but Piedad Córdoba, senator for the Historical Pact, said that at that time it was easier to find oil there than to the members of that commission.
What happened with the pension proves that Congress, despite the insistent calls of the peter president for the reforms to be approved with the argument that it is a popular mandate, they continue to get more entangled.
This week the progress of labor, pension and health reforms they were minimal. The labor was not cited any day in the Seventh Commission of the House of Representatives.
(Read also: Pension reform: these are the changes included in the project filed for debate)
It’s unethical, it’s not serious, procrastinate and procrastinate when
the country is demanding decisions
Regarding the pension, Although it is said that it is the most consensual, what happened yesterday makes it clear that this would not be so true. And in that of health, which is in its second of four debates in the plenary session of the House of Representatives, they have not yet finished voting on impediments.
This situation occurred when the president of Congress, Alexander López, made a strong claim to the VII Commission of the Senate. «It is not ethical, it is not serious, to delay and delay when the country is demanding decisions,» he assured.
And I asked to set positions: «If it sinks, ready, we advance, the Government and our bench will look at what to do next July 20, but let’s look at what to do. What we want are the debates. Let’s discuss».
The Government has 6 business days left to approve its reformswhich is not enough, so the key scenario will be the extraordinary sessions.