The senator and leader of Open Town Hall (CA), Guido Manini Ríos, requested that a political party financing law before starting “the electoral year”, with the objective of guaranteeing the independence of the State Powers from the particular interests of those who contribute to the electoral campaigns in Uruguay.
While the ruling party continues to work on a political party financing bill—a 2017 text that continues to generate disagreement among legislators—Manini Ríos once again aligned himself with the Wide Front in pressure on the government, this time for the application of control mechanisms in this regard.
“The financing law for political parties is a necessity,” he noted in his weekly column on Radio Oriental. For Manini Ríos, controls are needed “to prevent a political party from being financed by businessmen who later ask for the return of the favor with the approval of certain laws or with not touching certain situations, interests that we have seen especially in recent times”
Given this, the lobby leader once again raised the tone in relations with his government coalition partners by pointing out that CA “cares and puts on the table issues that seemed condemned to never be touched upon,” and that this is which generates discomfort in the other parties of the Multicolor Coalition. As an example, he cited “the forest law that touched a sector that seemed untouchable and that reacted immediately, or the issue of debts”, in reference to the president’s veto Luis Lacalle Pou to the forestry bill that had been approved in Parliament with the votes of the Frente Amplio and Town meeting.
“We have a free hand and total freedom of action. The law on financing political parties is necessary and once and for all we have to reach agreements to have majorities, and I hope that it is approved unanimously in this period before that we enter the electoral year,” added Manini Ríos, who thinks that this law “is the way to avoid this growing discredit that is taking place on the political class”.
Another lobbyist support for the Frente Amplio
Within the framework of the Accountability, Open Town Hall supported a provision of the Frente Amplio, presented in the House of Representativeswhich establishes the installation of a grape industrialization plant for the production of concentrated must, grape sugar and juice, which would cost 1.3 million dollars and generates discomfort within the Multicolor Coalition.
Through article 225 and promoted by the Frente Amplio deputy, Nelson Larzabala provision was presented in the House of Representatives that was supported by Town meeting and that it was not integrated into the original wording of the Accountability. This article establishes the installation of a grape industrialization plant with the objective of supporting and “safeguarding” the smallest producers, which was promoted by National Center of Winegrowers of Uruguay in Parliament.
The value of the plant would cost about 1.3 million dollars and has the objective of protecting small producers, as established by the senator lobbyist, Guillermo Domenechduring the debate of the project in the Upper House in the Budget and Finance Commission. “It is about defending the small producer, so that he can sell at more reasonable prices,” explained the senator.
In that sense, Domenech assured that “it is an idea that can reverse this trend towards concentration of ownership commercial in which the Uruguay”, something that stands out as “evident” regarding the reality that there are bids for interests.
Source: Ambito
