To approve a report on constitutional amendments, the plenary session needs a qualified majority of 92 votes
The plenary session of the National Assembly will define, this January 13, whether or not it accepts the report of the Constitutional Amendments commission that recommends the filing of a proposal for a change in the Constitution, which modifies the current Galapagos regime and the way to designate to the President of the Governing Council.
The Amendments commission, chaired by Francisco Jiménez (CREO), spent seven months debating the draft amendment presented by former legislator Washington Paredes. Eight sessions were held and criteria were collected from 23 representatives of civil society, experts, academics, authorities and other sectors involved.
The proposal aims to modify the administration of Galapagos and the way in which the president of the Governing Council of the archipelago is appointed.
First debate on the amendment for the popular election of the director of the Government Council of Galapagos closes with rejection and a proposal to file
The deadline for processing the amendment is February 7, 2022.
The commission’s report recommends to the plenary that the current Galapagos regime be maintained and, therefore, that the amendment proposal presented by former Assemblyman Paredes be shelved.
For the commission, the proposal is inadmissible, because it may affect the special regime of government that the province has by provision of the Constitution.
The report highlights that the Galapagos Special Regime guarantees a balance between life and the protected natural area and that through the Governing Council a balance is sought between state responsibility and decentralized autonomous governments (GAD), as a mechanism for ensure the preservation of the archipelago.
It is also noted that by providing that the president of the Galapagos Government Council be elected by popular vote and modifying the system of government of the islands, the nature of the special regime that the Insular region has could be ignored.
The commission considered that there are no solid arguments that allow to think that a different integration of the Governing Council would change the living conditions of the Galapagueños. (I)
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