But the ruling party also showed their dissatisfaction, for example about the exclusions that took place of legislators from the Historical Pactwhich in this case is the opposition, in the formation of the boards of directors of the councils of cities such as Bogotá and Medellín, which, they said, violate provisions of the opposition statute.
The political scientist Jan Basset he told THE HERALD that after the new local leaders took office there have been several signs of tension: “It seems to me that they show that the new leaders are in some way trying to measure the oil of the national government a little, especially that it was too see in the case of Gutiérrez in Medellín, who explicitly asked for the support of the national government and not to give up support to the city. We have also seen demands from the Valley regarding the Tuluá case and the request from the Governor, Dilian Francisca Toro, for support in the field of security.”
On the other hand, the professor at the Universidad del Rosario points out: “We have also seen some allegations there about the issue of board elections.” with councils often refusing to leave room at the tables for parties declared in opposition, especially when the only party declared in opposition was actually the Historical Pact.”
So he notes that a process of negotiation and adjustment will begin between these new leaders and the national government: “I think this is part of, let’s say, this process that will take a while, but anyway , despite these moments of tension, the institutional incentives are all focused on finally finding ways to work.”
In turn, the sociologist Jorge Bolivar Berdugo He noted in EL HERALDO that cracks are beginning to appear among the new rulers, especially among the elected mayors of Bogotá and Medellín. “The new political map changed substantially, giving more power to Congress and reducing the central government’s negotiating capacity. The power to exercise resources in departments and municipalities remained in the hands of local rulers,” he said.
However, he warns that the power of the President is evident in planning, who is responsible for the coordination, design and support in formulating public policies, and that the planning of the budget of investment resources remains in the hands of the central government and the mayors. They will necessarily have to go to Planning to be able to carry out major projects and this is where there will be great tensions to access these resources.
“This four-year period starting will change the terrain; “It is possible that a deeper disconnect between the central government and local rulers is approaching and that the country will lose from such a break,” the researcher said. Simon Bolivar University.
And he stated that the governability and governance of the President will lie in the will of the President to build bridges and loosen the ropes so that tensions are reduced: “A new political game is needed in which dialogue is the central mechanism , abandoning selfishness and personalism. The tensions, the tensions, the rigidities will not allow poverty to be overcome, education will not improve, it will not help to carry out the major infrastructure works underway and the challenges will remain for new times , because apparently this will be lost.
Source: El Heraldo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
