Dittborn: Government committed "legislative bribery" in yesterday’s vote

SANTIAGO. - UDI representative Julio Dittborn continued today with his harsh criticism of the agreement drafted between the Government Administration and DC party Gabriel Ascencio to deliver a subsidy of 1.2 billion pesos in transportation funding for the islands of Chiloé.

Dittborn, who directly reprehended his colleague at parliament yesterday accusing him of having “sold his vote”, affirmed today that “the Government committed legislative bribery because they offered money in exchange for a vote”. 

In a conversation with Radio Agricultura, the legislator maintained that what happened yesterday left him with a sour taste in his mouth because parliament turned into “a real circus”, stating that Minister of Transportation Cortázar was willing to do anything to get the proposal approved.

In Dittborn’s opinion, the actions of the Executive Branch yesterday, offering money to regions in order to secure the approval of a project, “undermines the work of the legislature and distorts the democratic legitimacy of the majority”.

The representative also claimed that his colleagues only voted for benefits for the regions.