Concertación to insist on pact with "Juntos Podemos" without modifying proposal

SANTIAGO.- The presidents of the Concertación parties expressed today their hopes of reaching a parliamentary agreement with all of the parties that make up the political alliance "Juntos Podemos" and urged leftist leaders to re-evaluate their stance so that "hopefully in May they can join the pact".

The spokesperson for the group, Camilo Escalona, stated that the left has agreed to hand over two of the three districts (Lota and San Miguel) that "Juntos Podemos" had proposed, which is why members should now take the time to resolve their "criteria differences".

The senator made it clear that the coalition would not modify its last proposal saying, "this is what there is, it is not going to change".

Escalona also said that the possibility that the Humanist Party or another group may not be willing to reach an agreement has not been considered, which is why he denied for now that the pact would be signed only with the Communist Party.

DC leader Juan Carlos Latorre agreed with Escalona and stressed that his party is not willing to hand over Macul, saying that the dispute over the district is not only the DC's problem, but affects the entire Concertación.