Milei's Government Managed to Pass the Law That Suspends the Paso for This Year.

The Senate approved tonight the law that suspends the PASO for this year, allowing the Government of Javier Milei to achieve its main objective in the extraordinary sessions, which conclude tomorrow.

The measure obtained an absolute majority of 43 votes—exceeding the minimum required of 37—with the support of the ruling party, dialogue sectors, and a divided Kirchnerism, as occurred in the House of Representatives. In contrast, 20 legislators voted against and six chose to abstain.

Before addressing the electoral issue, the Kirchnerist legislators discussed the creation of a commission to investigate the Government, an initiative that only aimed to divert attention from what was truly important.

The session was presided over by Bartolomé Abdala, provisional head of the Upper House, who replaced Vice President Victoria  Villarruel. In addition to the suspension of the PASO, other projects such as the trial in absentia and the recidivism and reiteration regimes were addressed.

At the beginning of the debate, the Senate held a minute of silence in tribute to the Bibas family, after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas delivered the bodies of the Argentine Shiri Bibas and her children Ariel and Kfir, who were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, during the attack on Israel, and subsequently murdered by the Palestinian organization in Gaza.

Thanks to the suspension of the PASO for the 2025 elections, Argentine taxpayers will save more than $150,000,000 dollars in expenses that will be suspended.

Support and Rejections

Among those who have already expressed their support for the suspension of the PASO in their speeches are Jujuy's Carolina Moisés from Unión por la Patria (UP) and Cordoba's Alejandra Vigo, from the Cordoba Peronism aligned with Governor Martín Llaryora. Vigo stated that "the PASO solve aspects of political life, not of ordinary citizens."

The rejection of the measure was present among senators from various blocs. The radical Pablo Blanco announced that he will vote against, erroneously arguing "the PASO system is valid for any citizen to present themselves for consideration by the electorate without depending on the structure of a political party. I will vote against the suspension of the PASO," he stated.

Meanwhile, the former Kirchnerist minister Martín Lousteau, president of the National UCR, also defended the disastrous PASO system, asserting that "it allows the citizenry to choose the leadership," even though they could also be chosen in each party's internal votes.