With an “instructive” the Government will try to order its cabinet in the face of the constitutional plebiscite of next October 25, to enforce the disregard entrusted by President Sebastián Piñera to his collaborators in this electoral process.
This was endorsed in the political committee on Monday headed by the President, and where the field was scratched, taking into account that the issue of the October constituent plebiscite begins to take the agenda of the new cabinet.
In fact, this Monday, at least four secretaries of State publicly referred to the matter, with statements that also revealed the counterpoints that the process raises within the ministerial team, which reflects that the issue is a true “minefield” for the ministerial cabinet.
“Pulled” by matches
But Piñera, who has not revealed his preference for October 25, also appears to be pulled on this issue by the Chile Vamos parties, which are waiting for a signal from him.
“I would like him to have the position of the majority of the sector,” UDI President Jacqueline Van Rysselberghe told The second, asking him to square up for the Rejection. Meanwhile, the acting helmsman of RN, Rafael Prohens, commented that “since he is the President of all Chileans, he should have a more neutral position and give guarantees to all.”
But then he added that “if he takes the position of saying his preference, he has to remember that he represents a sector that is mostly for one of the positions; therefore, if he gives a signal, it has to be towards his sector, “he said, waiting for the President to make a gesture to Reject.
The positions of the ministers
During this day, the issue dominated the interventions of the ministers. Foreign Minister Andrés Allamand, who yesterday ratified that “I am resolutely for the Rejection”, insisted today on the issue publicly, stating that “a balanced result is what would be best for the country.” In addition, he opted for the Rejection to gain ground in these months of the campaign.
Regarding the disregard debate, the former senator indicated that “it would be absurd to ask people like (Jaime) Bellolio, (Víctor) Pérez or me, who already have expressions, that we suddenly go silent.”
The issue was also addressed by Mario Desbordes, the former member of National Renovation, who commented that “the President has asked us to maintain a disregard and that is why I am not going to campaign for the option that I support,” he said, alluding to the alternative of Approval .
A similar tone was used by the Minister of Finance, Ignacio Briones, stating that “I already gave my opinion at the time (in favor of the Approval), I have not changed and we are not going to refer to this issue, because the Government has to be Dissenting and neutral. “
Neither has the Interior Minister, Víctor Pérez, been marginalized from the debate, who yesterday defended that the secretaries of state can express their opinions on this matter, because “it would be strange, not recommended or criticized for someone to abdicate what they think.” Today he returned to the issue of the plebiscite with a warning to those sectors that – in his opinion – “intend to transform the plebiscite into a recall referendum.”
The La Moneda protocol
In this scenario, after today’s political committee, the Government spokesman, Jaime Bellolio, announced that the President asked ministers, undersecretaries, mayors and governors to “dispense” in public events or that signify campaigning towards one or another option, and said that they are working on “a protocol and a clear instructions to define what are the limits of that disregard.”
“The Government is not going to take a position on either of the two legitimate alternatives that are in the Constitution today (…). Thus, as there are differences in the country on these two legitimate alternatives, there are also differences in the cabinet, there are means of communication that some of these differences have published and it is perfectly legitimate and it is good, because it is the same that happens in the home of many Chileans, “he said.
Regarding public officials, the La Moneda spokesperson explained that they can participate in public activities, in favor of one option or another, “but respecting what the Comptroller’s Office has said, that is, that public resources can never be used and that It has to be outside the working hours of each one of them ”.
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