Global Courant
Despite the fact that Congress has been widely criticized by society, it is a “fundamental piece” to represent the population, protect democracy and sustain governance.
This can only be achieved if the next legislature breaks the impunity alliances embedded in the body, a difficult scenario, according to Alejandro Valverth, director of the Association for Legislative Development and Democracy (Legis).
What expectations do you have of the next Congress?
The problem is that we need a true and constructive opposition in Congress that does not oppose just to oppose, but rather makes a real reasoning of the issues that concern it. Unfortunately, from the enormous number of parties that nominate deputies, we observe that it will be difficult to form a better Legislative than the one we have now.
This legislature has left much to be desired and we view the next Congress with great skepticism. I hope I am wrong and that you have a focus on approving initiatives that benefit the country and human rights.
When will we know the integration of Congress?
When 50 or 90 percent of the results are known, we will already have a list of elected deputies. If most of the tables are scrutinized on Monday, we will have that information.
What should be the priorities on the agenda of the next parliamentarians?
I hope that we will not reach the next Congress to elect magistrates of the Chamber and of the Supreme Court of Justice and that the current one still has the delicacy to do so. Otherwise, it is the first thing that the one who is elected should do. It can no longer be postponed. It is not only that, but there are several initiatives that are important and of benefit to the citizenry, such as the law on persons with disabilities, which is in Congress and needs to be updated, and focused on international law. .
It is also important that the Women’s Ministry be established. The important thing is that the deputies focus on specific human rights and thus vindicate themselves with Guatemalan society, to try to reverse all the bad things they have done. The deputies so far have not legislated in the way that society expected.
To approve these laws there must be a consensus among the benches. Is there a danger of an opposition if there are steamrollers of deputies?
Of course, the danger is very high, because as the same candidate for the presidency of the Vamos party, Manuel Conde, said, the alliance continues, and he recognized that although some deputies have separated, that alliance continues.
We saw it from the first session that Congress had, because it was with all the parties, except some UNE parliamentarians, who later became the VOS party. Neither did deputies from URGN-Maíz, Semilla, Winaq and Victoria participate at first, but the probability that the alliance will continue is very high.
How else can that probability be determined?
In the Prensa Libre poll, the first four or five leading presidential candidates, without reaching Villacorta, are part of that alliance. Cabal’s presidential candidate, Edmond Mulet, is going with a new party, but it was with the Humanist party that he participated in the last elections. That is why I say that I am skeptical that the next Congress will be good. When we see the candidates for deputies who have a strong probability of winning, we are disappointed, because they have been poorly evaluated and moved from one bench to another.
What are the consequences if that alliance is maintained?
In this legislature it has implied impunity for acts of corruption, especially in cases that have to do with the internal armed conflict. So, that alliance revolves around a very conservative, very retrograde agenda, which needs to open up a little more to meet the needs that the population demands. It is difficult, but I would hope that in the next legislature there will be a break in political alliances and that this time they will focus on the fight against corruption, which has done so much damage to the country.
What positive actions can be mentioned from the current legislature?
Putting in a balance between the negative and the positive, and taking into account that they have not elected new magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice, which violates the Constitution, I do not see any action that is positive.
How do you rate the approval of subsidies for propane gas and fuels?
The initiatives that have to do with subsidies for electricity and propane gas are entirely populist and do not seek to break the gas monopoly, but only to subsidize companies, but it is a monopoly or a cartel, which they call it, because those companies agree to keep the same prices. Congress did not bother to pass a necessary competition law. The millionaire loans that they acquired during the pandemic were disastrous, because afterwards they had so much money that they did not know what to do and that is why they resorted to other measures, such as pension support for the elderly.
How can you compare this legislature with previous ones?
I think this is worse than the previous one, without a doubt, because they have not met the expectations of the population.
Is it possible to reduce the number of deputies, as some candidates have offered?
Yes, it is possible, but different reforms have to be made and the president cannot do it. What happens is that the candidates for the presidency make offers that correspond to Congress, and the candidates for deputies make offers that they make to the president. So no one is in his place. The most that the president can do is present a reform initiative and nothing else, but it is not in his hands alone.
What strategy can you use to achieve this?
The trick is that it will have a large bench and possible support in the Constitutional Court if they have to issue an opinion, but it is highly unlikely that this will happen. Reducing the number of representatives is not viable because Congress is the representative of the people and removing that representation is undemocratic.
How important is Congress to maintain the governance of the country?
Congress is a fundamental piece in a rule of law, due to the number of obligations it has. In a State that works, the Legislative Branch is an excellent counterweight to other State agencies.
It is essential for a democracy and for a country. The development of a country begins with a good Congress. That is why we advocate for the people to choose the deputies well, because it almost does not matter so much who remains president, as who the deputies will be.
