A report appearing in several newspapers today indicates that for the tax proposal as submitted by the consensus of Mejia administration economists and PLD economists needs two-thirds of the vote of legislators to pass. This is so because of the inclusion of articles that affect the Monetary and Financial Code as per Article 112 of the Constitution. If the President sends the bill following a petition made to the effect by the Monetary Board, an exception can be made to the rule of the two thirds of the vote.
Two thirds of the vote in the Senate means that 22 of 32 senators would have to give a yes vote. In the Senate, 29 senators are PRD members, two represent the PRSC and one represents the PLD. In the Chamber of Deputies, two thirds of the votes is 100 of 150 deputies. Of these 73 represent the PRD, 42 the PLD and 35 the PRSC.
Diario Libre reports that the bill will begin to be studied in the Finance Commission of the Chamber of Deputies (that has 37 members from all the political parties) this coming Tuesday, 20 July.