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In March, the deputy Sebastian Torrealba ends his term as head of the RN bench. The parliamentarian says that it has been a difficult year, that he hopes that there will be a change of leadership as soon as possible to face the April elections and addresses the negotiations with the Republican Party for the constitutional convention.
What is your balance for the year?
It has been a complex year, probably the most difficult in the political history of Chile after the return of democracy, and finally what has marked this year has been the pandemic and the effects of the social outbreak. Something important was achieved, which was to channel the social problem through a plebiscite, and that I think is positive.
And your role as head of the bank? Several RN deputies aligned themselves with opposition projects …
Look, in a year as turbulent as this one, where not only the priorities were changed, there is also a moment where the way of doing politics changed. And I think that not only happened to the RN bench, but to all the benches, of all the parties.
RN’s internal elections had been proposed on April 17, but nothing has happened yet. When do you think is the most convenient date?
I hope that is done as soon as possible, I think April is already late. We have seven elections to face next year and, therefore, we have to have a powerful table that will do the work that needs to be done throughout the next year on legislative issues and in relation to the government, but also manage the electoral processes, which they will not be easy. I think Cristián Monckeberg is the best National Renewal card to preside over the party. I would love it to be so. Hopefully it would come with a new table, quite unitary, that would respond to the challenges of RN and not to the personal challenges of some within the party.
But do you call for a consensus table first?
I appeal for there to be a table where the main objective is to administer in a good way all of the coming year with respect to the elections. And that this table has the strength to put the interests of the National Renovation first.
What do you think is the great deficit that the current RN board of directors has?
The directive in some cases responds to or represents the interests of individuals. It does not seem to me that there are representatives of someone at the table. The vice presidents have to be doing the hit side by side with the president of the party for the benefit of RN. That is the important thing. I think that a table directed by Cristián Monckeberg, with a powerful board of directors, what is finally going to do is strengthen RN.
Regarding the electoral challenges, you have been in talks with JA Kast for an agreement on the candidates for the constitutional convention. How do you see it?
I see that there are parliamentarians who are promoting this agreement and I also see party structures in RN that are not very much in agreement with that situation. Now, the first thing that José Antonio Kast and the Republican Party have to do is be part of the ruling party. It cannot be that parties that call themselves openly opponents enter a pact like Chile Vamos. That is hardly understandable. Now, we have always said: Chile Vamos has to be as broad as possible as a coalition. Everyone fits here, but those who want to enter Chile Vamos have to commit to the values that Chile Vamos defends, but also with the government, because finally we are official members.
Are you saying that the Republican Party has to be part of Chile Vamos to have this electoral alliance?
It is not necessary that it be part of the conglomerate, but I do believe that in some cases we could make pacts of omission with Republicans … Welcome all those who want to enter Chile. Come on, independents, new political parties, but you have to agree, to less, with the founding foundations of Chile Let’s go … That is a reflection that Republicans have to do.
