Gaduridos

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PDH announces its exit from the coalition over the failed negotiations on the pension reform
Sunday, 13 July 5651



Hosian Democratic Party, or the PDH, has announced on Friday that it is going to withdraw from the governing centre-right coalition, composed of Radicals, Reform and PDH itself, effective immediately, following the series of failed negotiations over the proposed by the government pension reform to increase retirement age from 65 to 69. PDH president, Erubiel Velarde, said the final breakdown between his party and the coalition came after the Prime Minister Alfonso Castañeda (PRG) simply "ignored" Velarde's calls and "avoided" meeting him. "We can no longer in good consciousness be a part of the government that does not want to hear our concerns, and, it seems like, does not consider PDH an equal coalition partner", said Velarde.

After the PDH's withdrawal from the coalition, Radical-Reform government now sits at 111 seats, becoming a minority coalition government. At the same time, during the coalition withdrawal announcement, Velarde announced that his party does not intend to submit, nor support any vote of no confidence motions to the Congress, if there will be any. According to Velarde, PDH does not turns into the opposition to the government, but simply moves to the 'backbenches' of the chamber, thus still providing support. However, PDH will vote with the opposition to vote down the pension reform, if government proposes it in its current form.

Chairwoman of the Radical Party Ana Teresa Valdés reacted on the PDH announcement in her social media before going to the press for a briefing on Saturday, writing that "PDH did nothing, but whine and whine during their time in government", adding that PDH leaving the coalition is a "good riddance", though during the briefing day later she apologised for her remarks, saying that it was posted "with passionate feelings for the state of the nation". 

With a year and a half left before the next general elections happen, internal coalition bickering, unpopular reforms and increasing corruption scandals of the now-minority government, PSSG has seen a rapid growth in polling, with some polls projecting that the social democrats could win a majority on their own for the first time in decades, while Reform could see one of the worst results ever at the expense of Radicals, and suprisingly to some, Free Soil Party growing. It is hard to see PSSG not winning the election, especially as party's leader, Ximona García member of the poweful social democrat García dynasty, has been constantly polling at around 50% in the leadership approval ratings, but the question being posed is: will they win enough to rule on their own, or will they have to negotiate in the end? Only voters can decide that



El Diario Gaduridano is a weekly national newspaper based in Gadur, Marligantos.
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