Ricardo Quintela signed the decree that established that the process begin on Monday, July 24, with an official majority. The opposition affirms that the governor intends to perpetuate himself in power.
After achieving re-election by a wide margin in the provincial elections on May 7, the governor of La Rioja, Ricardo Quintela, took another step in his intention to reform the Provincial Constitution by signing the decree that establishes July 24 as date of start of sessions for the Constituent Convention.
“The enormous work to be carried out by the conventional ones in this partial reform of the Constitution will be framed in the expansion of rights related to access to water, energy and connectivity,” said the La Rioja president in a publication on networks.
He argued that the modification also points “to a more active role of the State in social and economic inclusion, to a democratic coexistence based on respect and tolerance.”
“The constitutional reform is an opportunity to think of ourselves as a people, who want to consolidate their history, their rights, their identity in the future of a better democracy for everyone,” Quintela completed.
The project that the governor sent to the Legislature also contemplated the periodicity of the three functions of the State: executive, legislative and judicial; in addition to gender parity in elective positions, freedom of expression and Governance; and constitutionalization of the primary municipal co-participation and universal basic income.
After receiving the approval of the Chamber of Deputies to discuss the reform of the Provincial Constitution in December 2022, La Rioja elected in the last elections the 36 conventional constituents which will deal with the update.
Of that total, 27 are representatives of the Alianza Frente de Todoswhile 8 belong to the Alliance Together for Change and the rest to Loyalty and Dignity.
The Constituent Convention can function for up to one year, although the term could vary significantly considering that the ruling party is a majority and that it can approve the reform without directly depending on other forces.
The La Rioja Magna Carta was sanctioned in 1986, and had an amendment in 1987. It was later reformed in the years 1998, 2002 and 2008.
The opposition, against the reform of the Constitution
Leaders of different opposition parties came together after the approval given by the Legislature to the reform of the Constitution to state that it is an “unnecessary” and “illegitimate” act, which pursues the end of “further concentrate power” in the territory governed by Quintela.
“The only purpose that quintelism pursues with enabling the discussion on the periodicity of the mandates is perpetuate in power and consolidate a model of centralist government and concentration of power”, could be read in the consensus document signed on that occasion by the representatives of various forces.
In addition, he added: “This is an unnecessary and illegitimate reformwithout debate, or consensus, which will cost billions of pesos, which will not improve the lives of any of the people of La Rioja, and will further concentrate the power of a government that has been the most unitary in history”.
The Constituent Convention will be installed in the Capital Department and its operation will be governed by the Internal Regulations of the Chamber of Deputies of the Province; and the Conventional Constituents, will receive financial compensation for their function and while it lasts, it was officially reported.
IS
