Government acknowledges loss of majority in Congress following removal of Zaldívar

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SANTIAGO.- The Minister of Interior, Belisario Velasco, said today that neither he (as a member of the DC) nor the Government would comment on the Supreme Court ruling against the party to expel Senator Adolfo Zaldívar from their ranks.

"As a minister for the DC as well as minister for the Government, I must point our that this ruling involves an important member of the Christian Democratic Party, and for this reason, neither the Government nor its officials will make any comments", stated Velasco.

The head of the cabinet acknowledged, "it is obvious that the Concertación does not hold that majority of 20 votes anymore (in the Senate) that it had when the system began", a fact corroborated by the various, decisive voting processes in Parliament throughout this year.

When asked about the possibility of the Executive Branch increasing contact with the opposition, Velasco replied, "we always have to speak to the Alliance, as there are many quorum laws that require votes from the National Renovation (RN) and UDI".

"In any case, within a democratic system like ours, it is good to maintain long-lasting relationships with the parties of the opposition", he added.