The activities of the Parliamentwhich begin this week marked by an electoral year and the last of the government of Luis Lacalle Pouthey must specify the status of key projects with half a sanction before the end of the president’s term.
During his last speech at the general Assembly as president, Luis Lacalle Pou He promised that he would keep “his word” and that during the remaining 364 days he would “take charge” of his obligations. With these words, the activities of the Uruguayan Parliament began, which is waiting for several bills that already have half a sanction and are key for the political parties that proposed them.
The controversy surrounding the euthanasia law
At the beginning of October, the Chamber of Deputies approved a law that decriminalizes and regulates euthanasia and the suicide assisted, after extensive debate and arduous negotiations. Currently, the project is in the Senate Health Commission and it is expected that it can be voted on before mid-year.
The project merges proposals from the Colorado Party and the Frente Amplio and obtained in October the transversal support of deputies from all parties to reach 57 votes out of a total of 96.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health assured that there are laws and regulations that meet the objective of the bill. From the portfolio they assure that the law is not needed because the portfolio has many areas and programs such as Palliative Care and that of Older adults.
The legislation aims to “regulate and guarantee the right of people to go through the dying process with dignity, in the circumstances it determines,” the text says.
The request for euthanasia will be enabled for people of legal age, mentally fit, who suffer “one or more chronic, incurable and irreversible pathologies or health conditions that seriously impair his quality of life, causing him suffering that is unbearable.
During the discussions, however, it was agreed to add that applicants must be transiting the “stage terminal” of the disease, with the sole exception of people with quadriplegia.
All health institutions are obliged to offer the service, but doctors can appeal to the “objection of awareness” to refuse, in which case the assistance center must appoint another professional.
Towards a new media law
Another of the pillar projects that are expected to be approved this year is the Media Law. It was approved in mid-December, days before Parliament suspended its activities. Currently, it is being analyzed by the Senate Industry Commission.
This new law, on which the University of the Republic (Udelar) was against some points, it is the last big move that the government intends to approve before the elections presidential elections next year. The project aims to displace the current media law approved in the government of José “Pepe” Mujica and has the objective of “clarifying” various situations.
After more than three years working in the Parliament, Finally the text obtained approval from the Industry Commission and has now been approved in general in Deputies during the extraordinary session, with 47 votes in favor and 42 against.
Meanwhile, Cabildo Abierto is a mystery regarding its support in the vote in the Senate since, at the time, they assured that they would vote against articles 39 and 40 that propose that media owners can agree to provide services jointly. and the other that forces subscriber cables to retransmit open television channels.
Priority for the government: political party financing law
In conjunction with the Media Law, the political party financing project is another of the pillars of Luis Lacalle Pou’s government. Approved with half a sanction at the end of November, an unprecedented agreement was reached between the Broad Front, he Colorado Party and the Independent Party for the formation of the project, to which was added the support of Town meeting. However, she had to return to Senate after undergoing changes in the articles, which must be endorsed.
The regulations include, among other things, the mandatory banking of all contributions greater than 7 thousand Indexed Units (UI), bumpers for the contributions that each candidate can make to their campaign, an article that authorizes the Executive Branch to also ensure that votes for municipalities entail a payment from the State and another that authorizes up to almost tripling the amount that the State can currently give per vote to mayor—passes from 13 IU to 35.
Coincidentally, the vice president assured at the end of January of this year that this project is one of the priorities of the Lacalle Pou government. “It is an important law, which has to be specified,” she remarked. However, she recalled that due to the elections 2024 “This is a special year” and he announced that “it makes the parliamentary dynamics have certain different characteristics,” which is why he will convene the bench coordinators of all the parties to define an agreed agenda.
Source: Ambito
