In one of its first readings, the new legislators advanced with the constitutional reform that will allow to sanction to the legislators for lack of probity. With 54 votes in favor, the congressmen approved in the first reading of the second legislature the initiative that tries to remove the credentials to legislators that incur in ethical faults.
The initiative, proposed by the former legislator Ottón Solís, from the Citizen Action Party (PAC), aims to reform Article 112 of the Political Constitution so that a paragraph is added.
That text would establish that:
the legislators will fulfill the duty of probity. The violation of that duty will cause the loss of the legislator’s credential, in the cases and in accordance with the procedures established by a law that will be approved by two thirds of the total of the members of the Legislative Assembly.”
Independent legislator Erick Rodríguez Steller expressed doubts about the convenience of the reform.
Here there are words that could be used for a witch hunt (…) I think that, with restraint and tranquility, we take the time to discuss this reform in this Legislative Assembly reform, not running and doing things, not for fear of being investigated, but for fear that we may lose our credential at any time, for sloppiness in this article,”
said the Rodríguez.
The reform took another step after the president of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado, mentioned it in his first speech when he took office last Tuesday.
After the amendment is incorporated into the Political Constitution, a law will be required to regulate the procedure that will be followed to remove the credentials of legislators who breach the duty of probity.
The previous Legislative Assembly could not sanction former congressmen Otto Guevara, from the Libertarian Movement (ML), Johnny Leiva, from the Christian Social Unity Party (PUSC), and the independent Víctor Morales Zapata, despite the fact that the Public Ethics Office (PEP) concluded, in confidential reports, that they breached the duty of probity for taking steps in favor of the Chinese cement importer, Juan Carlos Bolaños.