FMLN, ARENA, PDC and PCN are already saying that they would be able to overcome by 56 votes the rejection of President Bukele to finance the increase of the pension from $ 207 to $ 304 per month.
President Nayib Bukele has sent four vetoed decrees to the Legislative Assembly, including funding of $ 125 million, from a $ 250 million loan with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to increase the minimum pension, according to the Speaker of the Assembly. Mario Ponce, of the PCN, during the plenary session.
Bukele bases his veto on the fact that the IDB loan was initially authorized to “support the efforts and actions of the Government of the Republic, to contain the health crisis derived from COVID-19 and the country’s economic recovery”, that the government has already used more than 1 $ 1 billion of the $ 2 billion the Assembly has authorized to fight the pandemic.
FMLN MP Anabel Belloso explained that as of January 14, the increase in the minimum pension should start to be implemented, but because of the veto this will not be possible, which she described as “irresponsible”. from the government. that there is an “imbalance” in the 2021 budget.
“I would venture to say that there are no solid arguments to support the unconstitutionality,” so they will analyze the reasoning given by the Executive to overcome the veto, Belloso stressed, because it affects 120,000 retirees who should receive the benefit, he added. .
SEE ALSO: Assembly approves 2021 budget with minimum pension increase to $ 304 per month
Another decree that has been vetoed by Bukele is the reorientation of funds approved by parliamentarians from another IDB loan of $ 50 million, so that mayors can develop municipal projects.
In principle, this debt was intended by the government to “partially reimburse the funds of the general state budget, used to provide compensation for the $ 300 delivered to people without employment or permanent income, economically affected by quarantine in their homes for the pandemic. mentioned ”, is part of the presidential veto.
According to Bukele, Decree 800 on granting mayors funds for municipal works is “unconstitutional” because it has “defects in content and form.”
Bukele’s veto states that the budget cannot be changed by omissions in preparing and approving the needs it must meet.
“Changing the individual budget without consulting the Executive is detrimental to guaranteeing the fundamental rights that have already been analyzed by the Executive, which are priorities, which are the reason for the existence of the state itself, due to interests or acts that try to cover with public interest clothing. however, they have an individualistic benefit for a political sector and specific people, for partisan purposes for the members of this sector “, the president claims.
SEE ALSO: President Bukele will veto a decree raising the minimum pension to $ 304, says finance minister
The President also vetoed a transitional provision allowing the optional upgrading of up to 50% of the resources allocated to municipalities by decrees 650 and 728; and Decree 795 containing reforms to the Electoral Code.
On Wednesday, Bukele expired the eight working days that the law allows him to send the decrees that he announced he would retire.
The Minister of Finance, Alejandro Zelaya, reported a few days ago that decrees 800 and 803 that are part of the financing of the general state budget for next year will be vetoed by the president.
Cristina Cornejo, from FMLN, explained that the four vetoes sent by Bukele are “unconstitutional”, meaning they should go to controversy in the Constitutional Chamber.
To increase the minimum pension, the Assembly approved the redirection of resources from an IDB loan of $ 125 million.
MEPs questioned the fact that Bukele used to send vetoes until the last minute; however, they suggested that they would be overtaken by a qualified majority of Members.
“It is common to send them at the last minute, on the topic of the basic pension that we will accompany to be able to overcome the odds and overcome them, we know that the pension is vital, especially for the poorest and most unprotected people, we would be accompanied an overcoming of the veto We don’t know why he sends it until the last moment “, explained Reynaldo Cardoza, from PCN.
READ ALSO: Finance Minister avoids going to Assembly to give his opinion due to controversies over the first Fodes payment decree
Schafik Hándal, from FMLN, said that if Bukele did not send the veto yesterday, it was understood that he would accept it. “The law states that administrative silence is a sign of approval,” he explained.
Earlier, Víctor Hugo Suazo, from FMLN, stated that Bukele’s delay in sending the veto decree for financing the minimum pension is that he cannot find where to get the money to pay it.
Bukele refuses to withdraw funds from the loan that was originally approved by the Assembly to address the pandemic, despite the fact that it has already used more than half of the $ 2 billion in debt for COVID-19.
“We are ready to overcome the veto on raising the minimum pension for retirees, which is an issue that the Assembly had guaranteed and provided for in terms of reductions and publicity, what can I say, is a decree that has benefited all retirees.” Cornejo claims.
Patricia Valdivieso, from ARENA, assured that, in her case, “we will certainly be willing to overcome the vetoes”.
Rodolfo Parker, from PDC, said that they will overcome everything related to the completion of the law-making process.
“How can we not override the veto so that retirees, instead of having a minimum pension of $ 207, go for a pension of $ 304,” Parker said.