The Education Commission of the Congress of the Republic that discusses the initiative to reform the Sports Law -6149- will meet today to sign the favorable opinion of the project. As it was known, the proposal will come out as presented in October 2022, without any changes.
The initiative would first solve the current political and legal crisis surrounding the Guatemalan Olympic Committee (COG) and eliminates a series of articles that deal with the statutes of the Olympic Charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This would open the possibility for national athletes to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the Guatemalan flag.
On February 1, the Board of Directors unpacked the project and sent it to the Education room chaired by the Cabal bench, one of the allies of the ruling party. Today, the vice minister of sports, Francisco José Aguilar, appointed by President Bernardo Arévalo, is expected to attend to discuss the issue.
For their part, advisors from several groups confirmed that Jorge Rodas, president of the Guatemalan Olympic Committee, is also lobbying for the initiative not to be approved in plenary.
The independent representative, elected by Semilla, and member of the Education Commission, Victoria Palala, also proposes substantive amendments, which some legislators say take away the strength of the discussion. “Right now I don’t have the exact information, the commission’s advisors are finishing the opinion,” said the congresswoman.
In search of signatures
The president of the Legislature, Nery Ramos, said that Congress will look for a mechanism that allows the dignified representation of national athletes, so they will ask for support within the plenary session.
“I would seek in some way to liberate sporting activity in Guatemala, well, we are going to do it, because if we are sure of one thing, it is that we cannot continue with these restrictions on the participation of our athletes, and if we have to do something from Congress to generate those conditions, of course we are going to do it, we are going to seek consensus for it,” he said.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games begin on July 26 and conclude on August 11, but all sports delegations have a deadline to notify the IOC of their participation. In the case of Guatemala, if the legal situation does not change before next March 31, the national athletes who will participate in the Games will do so as independent athletes.
“Our only objective is for the IOC that sanctioned to lift the sanction, our only objective is for our athletes to wave our blue and white flag,” said the president of the working room, Mario Velásquez.
Today’s meeting, in Palala’s opinion, will be to consolidate the support that already exists with a favorable opinion. “It is a commitment that we assume as a commission, we took the week to present the observations,” argued the congresswoman.
Possible urgency
As it is a bill that would modify the legal bases of an independent body such as the COG, at least 107 votes will be needed for the third reading vote and final draft.
Within the commission, both Velásquez and Palala claim to have support for the ruling, but if the latest political conversations have a positive effect, the deputies would seek its approval due to national urgency.
“If we get the votes, without a doubt, it is a deadline that must be met, and if we have the votes we must expedite it,” noted Representative Godoy.
For his part, Velásquez indicates that since the last plenary session they began to seek support.
The favorable opinion of the initiative is “a fact” according to the ruling alliance. There is talk of a possible approval of national urgency, an issue that the opposition bloc, Vamos, claims to be unaware of.
Héctor Aldana, representative of Vamos, indicates that his bloc is willing to support any initiative that supports Guatemalan athletes, although he indicated that there are certain aspects of the regulations promoted by the ruling party that raise some doubts.
“The fact that our athletes can participate with the flag seems great to me, but no amount of running makes it dawn earlier. We have to be consistent in knowing what the legal route is, looking at the international level of sport,” said the congressman.
Another point that Aldana highlighted was the criteria used by the Congress Board of Directors to refer the initiative that has jurisdiction in the sports field to the Education Commission and not to the Sports Commission.
“It would have to be the Sports Commission that sees this issue or in any case the Constitutional Affairs Commission, one more in line with the legal issue to determine that,” he said.
Deputy Velásquez, president of the Education Commission, admitted that his table was not the one to rule on this initiative, “in fact, this initiative, which is 6149, is not our responsibility. I am president of the Education Commission, but we It came to us and we are reviewing it with the lawyers, we want to make a completely favorable opinion.”
#Education #Commission #accelerates #ruling #modify #Sports #Law
