He Colorado party prepare a base document with ten ideas about changes to the social security reform in Uruguay, after the president Luis Lacalle Pou yield to the demands of Open Town Hall (CA) and, according to the colorados, reopen the debate on some points of the project.
There is little less than a week left until, for the moment, the term for the commission vote on the reform of the pension system expires, almost a month from the ideal date for the government. However, there is still no certainty about what will happen in the intervening days, much less about whether, indeed, next Thursday the deputies of the Special Commission they will be able to give their approval to the text that has half approval in the Senate, but that, in the last month, has undergone several modifications in the midst of endless negotiations.
In this context, the delegates of the sectors with parliamentary representation of the Colorado Party met yesterday for three hours to define a common response to the president’s agreement with the party led by Guido Manini Rios that guaranteed the votes of the lobbyists but, paradoxically, questioned the colorados.
The meeting was attended by citizens, Senator and former Minister of the Environment, Adrian Pena and the deputy Jorge Alvear; by Batllistas, the senator German Coutinho and the deputy Conrado Rodriguez; and by third way, deputy Gustavo Zubia, one of those who has most publicly criticized the current version of the pension reform. This was the first instance of sharing the ideas that each sector has been discussing, with a view to the constitution of a single document on Monday to present later to the Executive power.
At the moment, they are managed ten options among which they must choose to introduce the president, with whom they intend to have a meeting on Tuesday at the Executive Tower. The provisional catalog includes alternatives that were discarded at the beginning of the debate on the reform, because they affected the architecture of the project. However, after Lacalle Pou gave his arm to twist against Cabildo Abierto, even in points such as the loss of years for the replacement rate calculation of future retirements, the colorados understand that they have the same right as their coalition partners.
In the platform they also included innovative proposals but, equally, they do not represent “any madness”. One of the points included, for example, is the elimination of the Social Security Assistance Tax (IASS) —although this could jeopardize the financial stability of the Social Welfare Bank (BPS), contrary to what was sought with the social security reform. If this modification is not incorporated, Zubía has already announced that he will not give his vote for the approval of the project.
Two agreements breached by the government
The ex-president Julio Maria SanguinettiSecretary General of the Colorado partystated this Friday that “there were two agreements that were not fulfilled” in the discussion for the social security reform and ratified that his space will make “some proposals” more to the project.
After the Presidency accepted the initiatives to modify the social security reform project carried out by CA, the Colorado Party raised its hand and asked for a 10 day extension to analyze the changes. Thus, once again the treatment of the government’s flagship project was delayed.
“There were two agreements that were not fulfilled. A first final version agreement had been reached on October 17, which we made public. Then it was challenged and another agreement was reached in Parliament, apparently final also in the Senate. Then, we got to the Deputies and there the Cabildo resubmitted those applications and upon accepting them the president reopens the negotiation”, explained Sanguinetti.
Specifically, CA managed in the negotiations to reduce from 25 to 20 the number of years that are considered in the project for the retirement calculation and that the treatment of the article of the AFAP investments abroad. After reaching consensus, last weekend the colorados informed the president Luis Lacalle Pou that they would not vote on the file without knowing the exact impact of the changes.
Then, the ex-president affirmed this Friday at a press conference that, when the discussion was reopened, “there is a new stage” and “the Colorado Party is going to make some proposals”. “We hope to reach a final agreement. I have no doubt that it will be reached,” she added.
The extension period is until this Thursday April 20, day on which all partners must agree once again. Otherwise, the processing of the project will remain on hold.
Source: Ambito
