The PRD has chosen former Senate president Andres Bautista to preside anew over the Senate for 2004-2005. Twenty of the 21 senators present gave him the necessary votes to return to his post as Senate leader. The position is of importance because it is this person who sets the Senate?s agenda.
Since the PRD holds by far a Senate majority, the choice of their candidate is practically equal to a sure vote. Bautista presided over the Senate when Pacheco ratified the reform that allowed President Hipolito Mejia to run for re-election in 2003. The meeting to choose the next president of the Senate was presided over by Vicente Sanchez Baret, the party president, and Rafael Subervi Bonilla, the PRD?s secretary. Senator Cesar Matias has been named vice-president and Melia Salvador and Juan Morales, would be the secretaries.
The current Senate president, Jesus Vasquez, says that the decision was based on the idea of a Senate that is wholly complacent to orders from the PPH faction of the PRD that is behind the outgoing Mejia administration.
Alfredo Pacheco was confirmed to continue as the head of the Chamber of Deputies. Pacheco would stay on with the support of PRSC and PLD deputies.