Together for Change, it did not obtain a quorum to withdraw the DNU of the "superpowers" and there were harsh criticisms of the Government

Jasmine Bullorini

05/28/2020 - 12:49

• Clarín.com
• Politics

With 124 deputies present -in the venue and virtually-, the special session called by Together for Change to repeal the decree that gave the Cabinet chief greater powers to allocate budget items fell for not reaching the necessary quorum.

With perfect assistance from the interblock, JxC contributed 116 legislators . They were accompanied by the two left-wing monoblocks -Romina del Plá and Nicolás del Caño-, and four legislators from the Federal Interblock: Graciela Camano, Jorge Sarghini, plus the socialists Luis Contigiani and Enrique Estevez.

The president of the Federal Interblock, José Luis Ramón -who the foreigners had "escrachado" for speaking out against the decree but blocking its treatment in the last session- was also present, although the rest of his fellow bench members did not give a quorum.

"I am sitting here because Congress has to regain the powers that the Republic has," said Ramón and asked Santiago Cafiero to go to the Chamber to "give explanations."

The session, called for 10 o'clock, fell 45 minutes later, as it failed to have 129 legislators present. 

They left democracy without a quorum.

Today the ruling party did not want to discuss the "superpowers" that it is granting to the Chief of Staff by decree. When Congress diminishes its capacity to control the Executive Power, democracy loses.

" They left democracy without a quorum. They took away, with a signature, one of the main rights and powers that Congress has, which is control. Six months have passed since this Government, we have no budget, we do not have a road map, we do not know what This is happening with the debt. Let the chief of cabinet come to give explanations, "said Cristian Ritondo , president of the PRO bloc.

Along these lines, Mario Negri , head of the JxC Interblock, stressed: "That the ruling party is not present is part of the game, but that the opposition whose only capital it has is not to relinquish its faculties is handed it over with the absence ... There's nothing left, except extortion. "

In turn, he pointed out against the Government: "We are sitting here for the sin of gluttony; excess. The idea that you can enter the country in the name of the emergency to stay with the power to manage the money of all Argentines at your discretion "

The deputies of @juntoscambar gave a quorum in today's session to try to repeal the #superpowers of the Chief of Staff to modify 100% of the budget items.
Some opposition legislators accompanied us. The oficialismo continues putting obstacles. pic.twitter.com/Gqyv4MRCqQ

The request for a special session came after the Everyone's Front blocked the regulation section requested by the opposition to debate that DNU in the last virtual meeting.

After falling for lack of a quorum, this Thursday's session continued with minority expressions . "As unconstitutional and unnecessary we reject article 4 of DNU 457/20 and request its immediate repeal," said Pablo Tonelli (PRO) after a technical explanation in which he assured that the decree in question "transfers to the Executive an attribution of Congress" and "it alters the system of division of powers".

Behind him, the macrista Waldo Wolf listed a series of acts against the Government, which he accused of "taking power from the people." " He takes it out to go with impunity, because while the President tells a journalist not to sow anxiety and order a state of mind, (Horacio) Pietragalla calls for the release of Jaime and Juan Martín Mena signs the Devoto pact so that Prisoners come out, while they put people inside the neighborhoods and do not let them out. And the vice president's lawyer appears and tells the Court that if she does not understand for reasons she will understand by blood. And (Oscar) Parrilli appears and asks the annulment of Hotesur and Los Sauces and (Carlos) Zannini calls for the annulment of the Memorandum with Iran, and Alberto (Fernández) signs by decree an increase in retirees below what this Congress signed in December, while they threw tons of stones at us And now the president, by decree, reassigns games, giving discretion to the chief of staff who was elected by him. "

From the socialist bloc, Enrique Estevez assured: "We are going to defend the powers of Congress, whoever governs, and participate in instances such as these, whoever calls, because we are convinced that we need the active role of Congress" and criticized the "pathetic crack that makes him ill to the country. "