reformBuenos Aires, Dec 15 (AFP) A trade union-organised marchin Buenos Aires has descended into violence, with thousands ofprotesters clashing with police as they demanded lawmakersreject a controversial pension reform plan.
Military police used water cannons, tear gas and rubberbullets against demonstrators, who threw stones and burnedbarricades made of rubbish outside the doors of Argentina'scongress yesterday.
Cabinet chief Marcos Pena accused the opposition ofinciting the violence, saying: "We saw the clear search forviolence, first in the street and then on the premisesitself."But the General Labor Confederation, the country's maintrade union, pointed the finger at the government, blaming itfor the "militarisation of the surroundings of the congress."Inside the legislature, the unrest forced thepostponement of the vote, as opposition lawmakers cried outfor the debate to be suspended.
"We cannot sit in session with this violence," said ElisaCarrio, National Deputy for Buenos Aires and leader of thesocial liberal Civic Coalition ARI party.
The debate was supposed to take place next week to allowparliamentary committees the chance to analyse the issue --but the ruling party on Wednesday forced its acceleration intothe lower Chamber of Deputies, sparking fury from the unions.
If passed, President Mauricio Macri's reform will play animportant part in cutting Argentina's fiscal deficit, withexpected savings of 100 billion pesos (USD 5.6 billion). Thegovernment needs to cut the deficit by 4.2 per cent this year.
The opposition argues reform would negatively impact some17 million retirees, as it would change the formula used tocalculate benefits, adjusting payments quarterly taking onlythe official inflation index into account.
As it stands, the Argentinian retirement systemguarantees those who contribute to it 80 percent of theirwages for 30 years, with limits for the highest salaries.
Since 2009, retirees have received automatic increases everysix months.
Pena insisted during a press conference that the reform"is a good law," and accused the opposition of inciting theviolence.
Pena also denied that pensions are being reduced, andsaid "the five percent increase in real terms above inflationis guaranteed."Constitutional experts have warned that if the reform ispassed in its current form, hundreds of lawsuits may be filedagainst the state for violating constitutional principles.
(AFP)KIS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.