[Politics] Relationship between Government and opposition starts with the “bridges cut” after 9/11

[FNX Magokiler]

The waters that the Government will have to navigate in legislative matters do not look easy. Pro-government voices within Congress warn that, after the district week, on September 25, the relationship with the opposition will be measured in a good way after the division that was experienced in the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the coup d'état. From the opposition, they assure that they want to quickly move on from the issue of September 11 to get to work on the matters that the Executive has set as priorities, but, at the same time, they point out that relations are very weakened. The departure of former minister Giorgio Jackson managed to decompress the atmosphere, but after this week it seems that the pressure has risen again. Another factor that may contribute negatively to this is the veto of the Usurpation Law, which must be entered during the week in which legislative activity resumes. In La Moneda they do not show much concern about this, but the opposition maintains that yes or yes it will be a factor that will add more difficulties to a smooth management of the most important reforms for the Government.

The commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the coup d'état left a mark on the political class and was far from bringing together all forces in a declaration regarding basic democratic principles and respect for human rights. Although there were parallel texts that were not very different in their content, transversal political unity was not seen. That is the prelude to a legislative agenda that will be resumed on September 25 - for the district week of Congress - and that will address issues of security, health, probity, pension reform and the fiscal pact. The Executive assured that it hopes to be able to build agreements on urgent matters, but it seems that the tensions, which had been decompressed with the departure of former minister Giorgio Jackson, were activated again.

 

 

On September 12, Senator Paulina Núñez (RN) revealed her first diagnosis regarding the relations between Congress and La Moneda: “After the commemoration of the 50 years, relations with the Government are broken, I think they were hurt, because "We are facing a Government that does not belong to all Chileans, that with its ideology ends up polarizing and dividing the country, rather than uniting us and reuniting us."

For the senator, the discussions regarding the 50 years and the reforms are on the same level, because the Government is the one that "ends up mixing things, because at the end of the day you cannot come and kick the table or confront bad form to those who need to give you votes and support you in Congress.” Núñez stated that “the Government has no desire to talk and dialogue.”

Opposition parliamentarians in the Chamber agree that in the first week there has not been much approach from the Government regarding urgent issues and also in relation to the rise in tension. The deputy and head of the UDI bench, Guillermo Ramírez, confirmed this feeling: “The Government poured all its energy into the commemoration of the 50 years, leaving the most urgent issues of Chileans on hold. For example, in health we have a record of deaths on the waiting list.”

Ramírez hopes that “the Government will return to work” on the legislative agenda that is in progress and, in this sense, he noted: “In tax matters, get to the bottom of the Agreements case, to give guarantees that this Government will not leave to repeat acts of corruption like those, and in matters of pensions.”

 

https://www.elmostrador.cl/noticias/pais/2023/09/17/relacion-entre-gobierno-y-oposicion-parte-con-los-puentes-cortados-tras-el-11/

Edited September 20, 2023 by [Ty]M@g0k1l3r
T/C.