MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine President wants Supreme Court Chief Justice impeached

Argentine President Alberto Fernández Sunday announced he would seek to have Supreme Court (CSJN) Chief Justice Horacio Rosatti impeached while the conduct of the remaining members of the country's highest court is to be investigated.

“I have summoned the governors who accompanied the National State in its claim against the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires so that, together, we promote the impeachment of the President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation Horacio Rosatti so that his conduct in the performance of his duties is investigated,” Fernández announced in a statement. The conduct of the remaining CSJN members also needs to be investigated, Fernández stressed.

Fernández has the support of 14 provincial governors after the CSJN ordered the federal government to restore to the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) 2.95% of federal co-participation tax funds that had been deduced in 2020 to be allocated destined to the province of Buenos Aires, ruled by the Kirchnerite Axel Kicillof.

Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta is one of the leading contenders within the opposition Juntos por el Cambio (Together for Change) coalition for this year's presidential elections.

Discrepancies between the Executive and the CSJN also include a difference of opinion regarding the integration of the Council of the Magistracy, the body that selects and removes judges lower than those of the highest court.

“I must prevent further manipulation of the Council of the Magistracy with unusual jurisprudential interpretations that allow the Judiciary to meddle in the decisions of the National Congress. It is my duty to promote actions when the federal system is put in crisis through an unnecessary precautionary measure and the undue proposal of an autonomous city,” Fernández insisted.

In the last few days, texting allegedly linking CABA Justice Minister Marcelo D'Alessandro with Rosatti's Spokesman Silvio Robles was leaked to the press.

Fernández based his impeachment project on “several publications never contradicted” which “have exposed” the “scandalous link” between politicians and members of the Judiciary. “The conducts, the dialogues between judiciary officials and politicians of the opposition in which decisions are anticipated and political grounds are recommended to be used at the time of judicially deciding cases with unquestionable institutional transcendence, have been shamelessly exposed before the generalized astonishment,” Fernández went on.

The President also instructed the federal Justice Ministry to “investigate the alleged acts of corruption that would involve officials of the city of Buenos Aires with businessmen contractors of that autonomous state.”

Two-thirds of the votes at the Lower House are needed to promote Rosatti's impeachment. Neither of the two major coalitions has such a majority.

“I hope that in this new year, while we are celebrating forty years of democracy, we will agree once and for all to build a Rule of Law in which justice will punish those who are truly responsible without any pact of impunity,” Fernández insisted.

President Fernández's onslaught against Supreme Court Judges is also expected to send a message to other judges who must decide on the appeals filed by Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) who was convicted of corruption in late 2022.

The last Supreme Court Justice impeached was Antonio Boggiano in 2005.