Citizen Action asks the CC

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February 26, 2025February 26, 2025By Mario Vásquez
Citizen Action asks the CC

The salary increase approved by the Board of Directors of the Congress For deputies, according to Act 10–2025, It will be discussed again in the Constitutional Court (CC). The highest court received legal action to define whether the salary increase is legal.

The Citizen Action Organization (AC) presented a proper execution so that for the Court it studies if the increase in salary to deputies complies with all the steps of law. According to the legislative act, the salary will remain in Q46 thousand 700 per month.

The action arises after a publication that exposed how the deputies of the Directive and had approved the salary increase, although in public statements they assured that the issue was under analysis.

Last November, the Plenary of Congress approved its budget for 2025, in which they included a salary increase and compensation for congressmen.

Deputy José Chic and Citizen Action presented separately shares of amparo against the decisions of the plenary. Both received a provisional protection.

The CC suspended compensation in an amparo granted both to Chic and citizen action, but the Constitutional Court did not pronounce on the increase in salary.

In their resolution they explained what were the necessary steps for Congress to define the matter, detailing the need to have a report on the legislative finances so that the decision subsequently submitted the highest authority of the agency, that is, the plenary of deputies.

They approved the increase

Since mid -February some legislative sources already warned that the Board of Directors had approved the salary increase unilaterally, without exposing the case to the plenary.

On that occasion, the sources explained that the Board of Directors ignored the steps described in the resolution of the CC, because it was in considerations, but not in the provisional part of the provisional.

Given this series of news publications, the CC recalled through an institutional statement that constitutional resolutions must be respected and complied with, and recalled that before a possible breach they could act ex officio.

However, according to Act 10–2025 of the Board of Directors of the Congress and which Free press He had access, it is confirmed that the salary increase for the deputies was authorized since February 4.

An opinion referred to in the act states that the legislature has financial availability to increase the salary of the deputies, calculating a monthly salary of Q46 thousand 700 per month, after comparing it with the base salary of a Judge of Court of Appeals, according to the consultations that Congress made to the judicial body (OJ).

In the final part of the minutes, the Directive ordered the General Directorate to make readjustments to make the salary increase in February 1, a decision taken by seven of the nine deputies of the Board of Directors, according to the document.

The third secretary, Juan Carlos Rivera, voted against, and the president of Congress, Nery Ramos, was not in the session. Deputy Karina Paz, first secretary, voted in favor, despite the fact that the same Monday said the issue was under analysis.

They reject the increase

After the publication that confirmed the salary increase for the deputies, the efficient Congress organization issued a statement, and publicly asked the deputies to retract the salary increase.

Among the considerations that the group of organizations exposes are that the deputies cannot justify a salary similar to that of the magistrates because the two officials are under different contexts.

The magistrate must meet academic demands, professional experience, have performance evaluation, meets a complete working day. In addition, not making their powers correctly can cause administrative procedures that can reach sanctions.

But deputies do not need wide academic preparation to take a seat, they do not even receive any sanction in case they do not attend their work.

Also the political party vision with values ​​(Viva) asked Deputy Jorge Castro, a member of his bench that is part of the Board of Directors of the Congress, voting against the salary increase.

The Political Group issued a statement and separately, the Secretary General of Viva and Presidential Excanidato, Armando Castillo, sent a note to Deputy Castro explaining the organization’s position on the increase in salary.

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