The Senate approved legislation that establishes the Statute of the Public Minister last night. An important facet of this legislation is that district attorneys and prosecutors will now be chosen by a council of prosecutors, who will submit each candidate for public evaluation ? a process similar to that used in selecting judges. Previously, political or governmental influence had prevailed in appointing the prosecutors and district attorneys.
The Executive Power will, however, continue to name the attorney general, who will remain the chief of all attorneys general in the country. Nevertheless, according to Hoy, the President will choose his new attorney general from a list of three candidates sent to him by Congress. The legislation now passes on to the Chamber of Deputies.