After a heated debate between the ruling party and the opposition, the Argentinean House of Deputies passed a draft bill to modify the pension system for judges and diplomats. Although the voting resulted in 129 votes in favor and none against, the legislative debates were heated.

The bench of Juntos por el Cambio denounced ‘irregularities’ to gather the necessary quorum to debate the draft bill, due to the presence of lawmaker Daniel Scioli, who made it clear that he will be acting until March 2, when he will take over the post of ambassador to Brazil.

During the debate, the opposition lawmakers left en masse, an action that was described as a big tantrum by some representatives of the ruling bloc (Frente de Todos).

In his speech, the president of the Commission for Prevention and Social Security, Marcelo Casaretto, noted that there are 17,622 active workers in Judicial Power who earn an average of 32,000 pesos (507 dollars), while passive workers total 7,000 and earn 272,000 pesos (4,317 dollars), and there are four pensions worth 11,904 dollars.

For her part, Frente de Todos lawmaker Fernanda Vallejos underlined that the public and solidarity welfare system has to be taken care of, as it is highly coveted by international financial funds.

She added that Argentina’s economy is in emergency, and regretted the attitude of those who did not sit to guarantee the quorum, in a clear allusion to the lawmakers from de Juntos por el Cambio.

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