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“Friends, I respect those who are for the Rejection. I think they are deeply wrong in my opinion, but I respect them. We can raise the level of the debate. I will love the UDI who are for the Rejection the same as always ”. That is an excerpt from a message that the former senator sent this morning at 9:30 Pablo Longueira to a WhatsApp group called “Jaime and Simón’s UDI”.
The text of one of the so-called “colonels” of the union was sent a day after Two party instances that were held via Zoom -the political commission and a meeting of the bench of deputies- will address, separately, his return to politics embracing the flag of Approval for the constitutional plebiscite, a crusade that he has launched alone and that contradicts the position of the party, which is for the Rejection.
Thus, Longueira also pointed out in his message that “My objective is that the Rejection does not exceed 15%, to be able to say that night that at least we achieved that 30% of the 45% of the right was for the Approval, but not zero ”. In that line, he added that with that “We will get more than 40% of the conventional ones and we will wait for them to see what they want to get rid of the current Constitution; the lower the Rejection%, the better, but Let’s not violate those who don’t want to change, I understand them ”. And, to end the message in the WhatsApp chat, he added: “A hug and long live the UDI of yesterday, not today.”
In sectors of the party they saw that last part of the message as something “superb”, which has caused annoyance in some sectors of the internal. In fact, in the two meetings held yesterday, his return was analyzed and he realized, according to those present, that the former minister would no longer have the same ancestry as before, which for some caused surprise. This because in both instances there was a unanimous position that it was necessary to maintain the Rejection.
Although in the two appointments it was valued that he returned with “ideas” and that he was willing, in case he wins the Approval, to be a candidate for the election of constituents, it generated discomfort among several leaders who made a call to the UDI be for the Approve and that – they add – with a kind of “messianism” say that he is available to preside over the party.
In the case of the appointment of the political commission, in general there were questions that Longueira wanted to reverse a decision that had been taken in the general council of the UDI in January on the position before the plebiscite. According to present, the hardest were the historical Carlos Villarroel and the senator Ebensperger Light.
The latter, according to those present, stated that it did not agree with Longueira and that the UDI’s decision on the Rejection was institutional, that it could not be changed and had to be respected. And she added that, in that sense, “what was believed” had to be defended, even warning that if the community stopped defending what it believes in, it would have to resign.
The senator’s position, in fact, was a majority sentiment. No one was willing to change their position on the Rejection.
The same sources comment that one of the “most empathic” with Longueira was Jose Yuraszeck, who would have said that his idea was good, but that he was “late”. In fact, several on the political commission insisted that their onslaught was untimely. Close to Longueira, in any case, they stressed in the meeting that the role that the former senator has played in the past should be appreciated. Thus, they recalled when he resigned his membership in the middle of the SQM case, “liberating” – they said – the community. In this sense, the need to listen to their approach was emphasized.
In that context, It was agreed to “listen” to Longueira and invite him to an expanded political commission, which, in principle, would be held next week. According to those present, the president of the UDI, Jacqueline van Rysselberghe, said that just as the mayor’s position has been heard and respected Joaquin Lavin, who is also for the approval, it was also necessary to give margin to Longueira.
Asked about it, Van Rysselberghe said that “The position of the Rejection of the UDI was taken in the general council of the party and only that instance can modify the position, however, the country is different today.” And he added: “From that perspective, Pablo Longueira has a legitimate point, that this plebiscite has problems (…). What he is proposing is a strategy, and one can agree or disagree. And if the UDI has given him space in his minute for Joaquín Lavín to be for the Approval, it must also be given to Longueira. That was raised in a super good tone ”.
In this sense, in the community they assure that they are not in the mood to convene a general council to review the position before the plebiscite and that, for that reason, The decision is to listen to Longueira in an expanded political commission or in an expanded board of directors.
In fact, the position defended by the ex-senator raised so much the spirits that the senator Ivan Moreira this morning he warned that if the party changes to Approve, he will resign from the UDI.
In the bench meeting, meanwhile, the scenario was similar. Unanimously, according to those present, no one was willing to change to the Approval and, even, there were harsh interventions against Longueira. One of them, according to those present, was that of the deputy Osvaldo Urrutia, who assured, according to the same sources, that the irruption of the former minister is “untimely and untimely.”
When consulted, Urrutia affirmed that “Longueira’s intervention and statements, in addition to surprising everyone, were inappropriate.” And he maintained that “if someone is going to change because Pablo Longueira called him and spoke in his ear, I am not going to do it, that messianic attitude bothers me.”
In the UDI bench there was also discomfort with Longueira because, in the opinion of several deputies, his onslaught “weakens” the Rejection campaign and puts the community in an uncomfortable situation.
At the deputies’ meeting, Longueira’s idea of presiding over the UDI was also discussed. In this regard, a large part of the legislators agreed that elections should be held in December and that – if he wants to lead the party – he has to compete.
Of course, for some the idea of holding a consensus table with the senator is still valid. Juan Antonio Coloma at the head, while others even slipped the alternative that this directive could also be formed by Longueira. The latter, in any case, is not accepted by the majority of the deputies who are committed to renewal.
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