The province is evaluating three possible dates for the elections: August 27, September 3 or 10

The government of Omar perotti and the political parties with legislative representation opened the discussion on the electoral calendar of the province on Monday in a meeting at the Gray House. Although the dates of the elections were not defined (something that the opposition claimed), the debate will continue in February, so that at the end of that month or the beginning of March the days on which the Paso and the general election will take place will be set. in Santa Fe.

The Minister of Government, Celia Arena, and her counterpart for Public Management, Marcos Corach, brought the parties closer, in this first contact, to the idea of ​​shortening the campaign time and also the transition. In this sense, they proposed three tentative dates for the general elections: August 27 and September 3 or 10, so that the Paso would be held at the end of June or beginning of July. All this, the officials explained, if there is no type of modification in the national electoral schedule.

Arena, at the end of the meeting, Arena explained that “this meeting was to exchange the criteria that we had and that perotti is taking into account. We advanced on the dates we thought, a decision that the governor had made clear and shared by most of the political forces with which we were speaking informally.

In addition, he pointed out that “we have to take into account that by law national and provincial elections are held on different dates. Today the date of the National Pass is August 13, but there is a whole debate about shortening the campaign deadlines at the national level, which obviously would have to be sanctioned by Congress. This is an element to take into account when defining the date for us”.

Regarding the convocation decree, which is the first instrument that triggers the electoral process, Arena said that, taking into account the current framework, "it would be in the middle or end of February, with which there is still time for definition." He also expressed that it is necessary to keep in mind the dates of the winter holidays, among other issues, which make the care and promotion of participation in these events so important to elect local authorities ".

In the 2023 elections, almost all elective positions will be renewed, from governor to provincial and municipal legislators (although in this case only half), as well as mayors and community presidents.

For the government, in addition to Arena and Corach, were Oscar Urruty (government secretary) and the electoral secretary of the province, Pablo Ayala. Also the representatives of 17 parties with parliamentary representation.

Cristián Cunha, president of the PRO, celebrated the call to the parties, but was left with a bitter taste. “We left as we arrived, with nothing. We all thought that we would leave with the certainty of the date (of the elections) and they kicked off another meeting until February, ”he told La Capital.

"It gave us the feeling that it was an obligation meeting, but it would have been more serious if they determined the precise date," added the party headline.

In the same direction declared the senator Felipe Michlig, representative of the UCR. "It is very important that they have called us to discuss the schedule, but we expected certainty about the dates for the institutional protection and that the Executive would clear up the doubts and uncertainties that had been generated and still generates for us," the radical leader told La Capital. .

The UCR legislator assured that all the parties that attended the meeting thought that the representatives of the national Executive were going to announce the date of the elections, including the PJ authorities.

However, Norma López, vice president of the PJ, acknowledged that this was the claim, but that later they listened to the arguments of the provincial officials and they found it very acceptable not to rush into the definitions.

“It is not yet known what will happen with the national schedule and the Paso at the national level may be very close to the general elections of the province. It must be taken into account that in 2023 there are four elections in Santa Fe (two national and two provincial) and the dates must be coordinated very well, ”said the PJ councilor in dialogue with La Capital.

Among other issues, beyond the electoral calendar, Agustina Donnet, from Participation and Equality, raised the possibility that a referendum for the Youth Vote and the constitutional reform be held together with the elections.

For her part, Mercedes Meier, from the Social and Popular Front, proposed for the upcoming elections the repeal of the decree that sets the electoral floor to gain access to a seat in the Santa Fe Legislature, which currently is 3 percent of the census.

Although the dates of the elections were not defined (something that the opposition claimed), the debate will continue in February, so that at the end of that month or the beginning of March the days on which the Paso and the general election will take place will be set.