EspañolGraciela Caselles, congresswoman with the Front for Victory Party, has brought a new the initiative before Argentina’s Parliament. The objective is for a minimum of 30 percent of candidates for elected office be 35 years of age or younger. According to the proposal, the confirmation of any list that does not meet this requirement will not be allowed.
“The latest census shows that more than 35 pecent of the electoral roll is composed of young people who today have no real representation in the branches of government,” said the deputy. The proposal seeks to provide “a clear message of openness to full democratic participation, providing minimum quotas for persons under 35 years of age regarding their ability to be effectively elected” in both legislative chambers.
This project falls within the context of the Electoral Quota Act, passed in Argentina in 1991. This “establishes the inclusion of women on lists of candidates submitted by political parties for elected office, an obligation that allows for banning the confirmation of lists that do not comply with the minimum percentage established by this Law, No. 24,012.”
Roberto Cachanosky, an Argentinean economist, is against this proposal. In his view, “they propose that electoral lists have a youth quota of 30 percent. Ability doesn’t matter, it’s all about gender. Quotas for women, blondes, short people, tall people…”
Source: Telam.