|
Nica Budget Ignores Wage
Demands
After weeks of discussions,
protests and rallies of doctors,
health workers and teachers, the
Nicaraguan parliament finally
approved a budget for 2006 that
ignores those sectors´ wage
demands.
Following a five hour-debate,
the Liberal Constitutionalist
Party was able to impose Friday
a minority opinion on Parliament
that fits the demands made by
the International Monetary Fund
(IMF).
The budget bill had been
submitted to the National
Assembly by the government of
President Enrique Bolaños who
finally won the support of his
fellow Liberals.
The Sandinista National
Liberation Front (FSLN) called
the shots against the proposal,
championing for a budget that
included wage improvements,
mainly for health workers,
doctors and teachers.
The motion presented by the
Sandinistas, who has a slight
majority of 38 seats at the
single-chamber Parliament of 91
members, was nonetheless
defeated 47 votes against 42.
The FSLN MPs insisted and
illustrated with figures that
the State´s coffers would
receive incomes enough in 2006
to meet social sectors´ demands.
Sandinista deputies accused the
Liberals of yielding to
conditions of the IMF whose
officials are ignorant or
insensitive, they complained.
The financial body threatened to
let Nicaragua out of its
programs if salaries were raised
above the 9 percent.
|
|
