The president of the Congress, accompanied by the block leaders, defended the increase in the base salary of the deputies, which will now be Q46,700.
At the time, the increase was denied by President Nery Ramos and deputies of the Board of Directors, but finally concretized when legislators received the payment on Friday, February 28.
The salary increase for the deputies was established in Legislative Agreement 31-2024, when the Plenary of Congress approved its budget by 2025.
However, the legal actions presented by deputies of the will, opportunity and solidarity block (you) and Citizen Action (AC) complicated the increase in salary. The Constitutional Court (CC) set a procedure to analyze the salary increase of the deputies.
From the payment of salaries last Friday, the deputies did not appear publicly until Monday, March 3. Although many legislative blocks agreed to maintain the salary increase to the deputies, who again had the role of spokesman for legislative decisions was its president, Nery Ramos, who defended the increase in salary.
“The Plenary of Congress as the highest authority expressed itself in a vote. In that same order, the Board of Directors based on the Organic Law of the Legislative Agency made a decision. We can not agree but that is the decision of the majorities, ”he said.
Faced with the questions of journalists, Ramos agreed to his companions of the Board of Directors, who made the decision to guarantee the salary increase. He did not want to reveal how each one voted, adding that “we like it or not” was a decision made by majority.
“I am not going to particularize the vote of the members of the Congress of the Republic in the Plenary or in the Board of Directors. As I said to a beginning, these are collegiate decisions, that we like or are not decisions of the majority. ”
Although the first payment was already made with the increase, it has not been reported how much impacted the legislative finances. Even Ramos said that an analysis is being done to know if the payment will be harmful, this after the chairmano board that approved it.
The deputies received a base salary of Q46 thousand 700, but each receives other payments depending on their ranges within the Congress. It is estimated that Nery Ramos now, for being the president of Congress and having greater benefit for diets and bonds, receives approximately Q92 thousand 300 per month.
Talk about “need”
The only one who supported Ramos to defend the salary increase was Jorge Castro, first vice president of Congress. He even assured that by “necessity” a salary increase was advisable.
“There may be one or two that were against but I will not get to argue why they voted in favor or because they voted against,” began the deputy Castro of the vision block with values (Viva).
He added that “the increase if necessary”, justifying it with the work they do in the interior of the Republic. “The need goes through a readjustment,” he said.
Before the increase, the base salary of a deputy was Q29,150, not counting other economic benefits. It is estimated that it is now winning Q87,300 per month.
They discard battle
Minutes before that position of President Ramos with the block leaders of the Congress, the 23 congressmen assured that they will donate the increase of this month to the volunteer firefighters, but they ruled out the battle in the plenary to reverse the measure
Samuel Pérez, leader of the officials elected by Semilla Movement, explained that his pronouncement was so far and not before, because it is the right time to discuss wages.
“Right now it is the opportunity because it opens a debate, it should not be just the salary of the deputies,” he said that there are other officials with excessive salary.
But the response placed by the ruling is the presentation of a law initiative to reverse the salary increase. Project that is even unknown if it was already written and if it has the necessary consensus.
Although the official response against the increase will not be immediate since they rule out the battle against the plenary, justifying that the best mechanism is the presentation of a law initiative. He even said they did not legally act as the Vos bench because doing so could even “affect” the process of that legal action.
The Plenary of Congress as the highest legislative authority can file and leave its own decisions. An example was the national budget of 2021 for the administration of Alejandro Giammattei.
But on that occasion the approval of the morning budget, aroused de facto measures of the population.
The approval of the salary increase for the deputies on this occasion, was also at night, without prior notice and was denied by the Board of Directors, but to social control groups, including the groups of universities and political parties, have remained silent.
It is a show
For his part, the president of Congress, Nery Ramos, described as “a show” the press conference of the deputies elected by seed movement and assured that they were “complacent” when the issue was discussed by the Plenary of the Congress last year.
“It seems opportunistic, hypocritical and incoherent of those who today tear their clothes. In that plenary they were quiet with a complacent and tolerant silence and today they come out that yes, no, that I did not agree, ”Ramos said.
For now, the Constitutional Court (CC) has already admitted a new amparo against the salary increase. This was presented by Armando Castillo, general secretary of Viva, who warned to seek the expulsion of deputy Jorge Castro for supporting this salary increase.
The proper execution provided by Citizen Action is pending to be scheduled. This depends on the president of the CC, Nester Vásquez.