MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei sends multi-item reform bill to Argentine Congress

The bill, named the “Bases and Points for Argentine Freedom Act,” has 664 articles

Argentine President Javier Milei Wednesday sent to Congress a multi-item bill providing for the suppression of the Mandatory, Simultaneous, and Open Primary (PASO) elections, tougher police control in case of protests, and the privatization of 41 public companies, among other measures to rescue the South American country from its current crisis.

The text also includes granting the head of state carte blanche to make decisions without legislative endorsement under the declaration of “public emergency” until Dec. 31, 2025, it was reported in Buenos Aires. The Executive may also extend the “public emergency in economic, financial, fiscal, social security, security, defense, tariff, energy, health, administrative and social matters” for another two years, thus reaching the end of Milei's term in office.

Milei's rightwing party La Libertad Avanza (LLA) has minimal legislative representation but might get help from the center-left Juntos por el Cambio (JxC).

The bill seeks to restore “the economic and social order based on the liberal doctrine embodied in the National Constitution of 1853,” Milei argued in his note to Congress.

The bill also includes the privatization of 41 public companies -among them, Aerolíneas Argentina, Banco Nación, and YPF. It also introduces changes to the penal code, particularly regarding self-defense in case of a criminal attack.

It would also ratify last week's emergency decree (DNU) providing for the deregulation of the economy.

The bill, named the “Bases and Points for Argentine Freedom Act,” has 664 articles and also addresses the financing of political parties and the way MPs are elected, plus an increase in the penalty for anti-government protesters, of which three have been staged so far when Milei has been in office for little over a fortnight.

Milei wants to shift to district voting, based on divisions of the territory pursuant to the 2022 Census. A single candidate would result from each constituency, with no substitute. Argentina's Lower House has 257 deputies, and the number should remain unaltered.

The bill also increases the penalty for participating in a picket to up to 3 years and 6 months in prison, and up to 4 years if damage is done. Meanwhile, for picket leaders who force others to take part under threat of having their allowances withdrawn, the penalty could be up to six years.

Another change would be the introduction of a speedy divorce procedure not involving either courts or lawyers when both parties reach an understanding. They would have to appear before the same office where they got married and express their intention to undo such a contract.

Lower House Speaker Martín Menem said the Congressional committees to debate the bill will be formed shortly and start working in early January. “Everyone has to understand that Argentina, besides not having money, does not have time,” he stressed.