In the midst of a series of significant changes proposed to the Constitution of La Rioja, Cristina Salzwedel, conventional constituent of the UCR, expressed her concern about what she describes as an attack on the independence of the Judiciary.
18:38 | Wednesday June 26, 2024 | La Rioja, Argentina | Fenix Multiplatform
The reforms, which are being debated this week in the Constituent Convention, include the possibility that the mandate of judges is subject to indefinite re-elections, managed directly by the Executive Branch.
According to Salzwedel, the proposed reform “consecrates the dependence of the Judicial Branch to the most important political body in La Rioja”, by allowing the Executive Branch to play a crucial role in the re-election of judges. “This is quite disappointing and sets the stage for officialized impunity,” said Salzwedel.
Furthermore, the transfer of the Council of the Judiciary from the scope of the Judicial Branch to the Legislative Branch was criticized. This measure centralizes power even more and, according to conventional wisdom, “is part of a model of absolute power” that is being consolidated in the province.
On another front, the introduction of Debt Cancellation Bonds, known locally as “Chachos”, has also raised concerns. The UCR alleges that these bonds, which should help manage public debt, do not have clear support or sufficient regulation, putting the province’s economy at risk and potentially increasing poverty among the most vulnerable citizens.
“We are deeply concerned that these decisions could negatively affect our province, both in terms of judicial governance and economic stability,” Salzwedel concluded. The situation continues to develop as Convention members debate these and other reforms in the remaining chapters of the Constitution.
#Argentina
