After the Clean Record Law did not obtain a quorum to be discussed in the two sessions convened by the Chamber of Deputies of the Nationthe initiative was approved in general and in particular by the Legislature of Córdoba by a large majority during a marathon session held on Friday. This way, The new regulations will prevent candidates who had convictions confirmed in the second instance from running for public office.
With a large majority on the part of the Córdoba legislators, the text that will come into force arose from the bills presented by the radical deputy Brenda Austinand the members of the Hacemos Unidos por Córdoba bloc, Victoria Busso, Julieta Rinaldi, María del Rosario Acevedo and Ilena Quaglino. In addition, modifications were made to the articles of the Law No. 9,571which establishes the Provincial Electoral Codeand the Law No. 9,572which frames the Legal Regime of Political Parties.
The changes in the requirements will not only affect candidates running for public office representing a party, but It will also affect public officials who will be admitted to the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches.. In this sense, applicants who have a “conviction that has been confirmed by a sentence issued by the court of subsequent instance, by recursive or challenging, ordinary or extraordinary means, in accordance with the procedural rules that are applicable” will be disqualified.
The final objective of the rule, which would come into effect and impact the provincial legislative elections to be held next year, focused on increasing the standards of suitability and ethics for future candidates and public officials who provide services in Córdoba.
“This new law greatly surpasses other existing regulations in provincial public law and the projects that orbit the National Congress, because it not only covers corruption crimes but also all intentional crimes provided for in the National Penal Code and other special laws,” Busso highlighted during the presentation of the initiative at the venue.
In line with this, the official legislator pointed out that “suitability is a condition required not only for those who are elected by the people or for those who aspire to join party cadres, but it is a condition for those who had the honor of holding a public office at the service of citizens”.
In parallel, the provincial Legislature made official the appointment of the lawyer Jessica Valentini as a new member of the Superior Court of Justice (TSJ)and the lawyer Alejandro Pérez Moreno as Deputy Attorney General. Furthermore, they were named Pablo Alfredo Bustos Fierro as General Defender, Pablo Damián Pupich and Nestor Alejandro Gomez as deputy defenders, and Guadalupe García Petrini as deputy defender in matters of childhood, adolescence, family violence and gender.
According to the information provided by ElDoce.tv, The proposal was accepted with a total of 36 affirmative votes, against 27 negative votes and five abstentions. Although the opposition blocks rejected Valentini, the ruling party gathered the necessary votes for the defender of radical origin to fill the vacancy left by Mercedes Blanc de Arabel, after having presented her resignation on February 1.
“We believe that Dr. Valentini meets the suitability and moral conditions to fill a position of such magnitude. She has an extensive professional career in the private and public spheres, in addition, she has an active academic training and connection with human rights,” argued Rinaldi, under the intention of the provincial Executive Branch to maintain gender parity in the highest court.
In fact, Valentini had been proposed by the governor of Cordoba, Martín Llaryora, on December 1, after he highlighted the extensive experience he had in the public sector. Until now, the official held the Chief Officer’s Office of the Municipality of Córdoba, but she also provided services as deputy defender in the Ombudsman’s Office.
In the case of Pérez Moreno, the defender is a renowned lawyer specialized in criminal law, since he has participated in the defense of cases such as, for example, representing the family of Blas Correa, the young man who was murdered shot by several agents of the Córdoba Police in 2020. Currently, he was working as a regular advisor to the Council of the Judiciary of the Province, for the Lawyers of the First Circumscription establishment.
For his part, the new Deputy Attorney General of the Attorney General’s Office of the Public Prosecutor’s Office teaches university teaching and has several mentions and distinctions that were awarded by the National University of Córdoba (UNC). Likewise, he participated as a speaker and exhibitor in conferences, seminars, postgraduate courses and academic sessions offered by the Córdoba House of Higher Studies, as well as by other institutions and tuition fees.
