To the National Assembly, which has already been installed with its new powers and commissions, one of the first requests that arrived was to continue processing the proposed reforms of the Law on Social Security led by the group of citizens, the National Front for the New IESS, which was processed by the previous parliament, dissolved on 17 of May due to the declaration of death on the cross.

On November 20, the request was sent to the President of the Assembly, Christian Socialist Henry Kronfle, by Henry Llanes, a former MP and representative of pensioners’ associations. The same letter was sent to Johnny Terán (PSC), the president of the Commission for the Right to Work and Social Security, which should deal with this initiative.

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The project reached the Assembly after collecting 54,557 signatures of citizens’ support, and is based on the restructuring of the Board of Directors of the Ecuadorian Institute for Social Insurance (IESS) and the Board of Directors of IESS Bank (Biess) so that members and retirees have greater representation in these administrative bodies. Also, to agree on a payment plan for the debts owed by the state to IESS, which would amount to more than 10,000 million dollars, and that Biess can operate on the financial market as a first-level bank.

The commission that will be responsible for monitoring the process does not show a clear majority, as it consists of assembly members from six groups. Of the nine members, three are from Revolución Ciudadana, two are independent, and PSC, Pachakutik, Construye and Gente Buena have one each. The ruling party represented by the National Democratic Action (ADN) is not at this legislative table.

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These are the members of the Commission for the Right to Work and Social Security:

1. Johnny Enrique Terán Barragán, President (PSC)

2. Marcela Priscila Holguín Naranjo, Vice President (RC)

3. Jaime Patricio Guevara Blaschke (independent)

4. Johanna Cecibel Ortiz Villavicencio (RC)

5. Fernanda Mabel Méndez Rojas (RC)

6. María Teresa del Carmen Pasquel Andrade (Good people)

7. Luzmila Mercedes Abad Morocho (PK)

8. Jhon Polanco Lara (independent)

9. Francisco Andrés Cevallos Macías (construction)

In his letter, Llanes reminds Kronfle and Terán that, according to the regulations governing these cases, the deadline for processing the bill runs from Wednesday, March 15, which was the date the previous assembly learned about it. That period was interrupted by the application of Article 148 of the Constitution, death on the cross.

After intensive negotiations, fifteen specialized legislative commissions were formed.

For this reason, the former member of parliament and promoter of the People’s Citizen Initiative asks the President of the Parliament and the head of the Commission for the Right to Work and Social Security to “continue with the process of processing the draft law, so that it can be concluded with its action within the stipulated period, as prescribed by Article 103 of the Constitution of the Republic and the aforementioned regulations.”

As for deadlines, Llanes explains that the National Assembly has 180 days to discuss the project; but, in the specific case, the current convocation of the Assembly still has 118 days left to complete its process, starting last Friday, November 17, “because the previous Assembly had 62 days in mind.”

And he adds that “2,770,016 active members in employment, 192,555 voluntary members and 644,469 pensioners of mandatory social insurance, as well as their families, are surely waiting for the completion of this procedure.”