‘Cha-cha OK but no poll postponement’

Don’t take this the wrong way.

While President Arroyo will not stop the debates regarding proposed moves for Charter change by her Lakas-NUCD partymates in Congress, she said the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution should not be tied to the suggested postponement of the May 2004 elections.

The President yesterday reiterated her official stand on the topic of Charter change, saying she would not interfere with the democratic debate or take sides in the controversy.

"I don’t think postponing the elections would solve anything. I think the Charter change should not be tied with the issue of postponing the elections," Mrs. Arroyo said.

The 55-year-old President, who is expected to seek a new mandate in 2004, said she wants the elections to push through as scheduled — with or without constitutional amendments.

"I think the worthiness of the various sides of the (Charter change) debate should not be distracted by tying it up with the 2004 elections," the Chief Executive said.

During her regular informal luncheon press conference at Malacañang yesterday, the President cited her official statements and speeches in the past on the Charter change issue, the last of which was delivered before the various political parties on her "inputs" into these possible amendments, including the proposal to shift to the parliamentary form of government.

"These are my inputs to the debate and I have not changed my position from that time on," Mrs. Arroyo said.

"I am not against a debate. If you wish a debate, then, I said, by all means (have one)," the President said.

She added that it is not for her to stop members of the Lakas-NUCD party from pursuing the Charter change debate, even if she is the national chairman of the ruling party. "As far as Congress is concerned, let Congress’ action take its course. I respect the sense of Congress," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo also said she does not know how the Charter change debate will turn out "because it is only in the early stages."

Charter change initiatives were proposed by House Speaker and Lakas stalwart Jose de Venecia so that the country could make the shift from the presidential to the parliamentary form of government.

De Venecia’s critics earlier aired suspicions that the debate was set in motion as part of a plan to postpone the 2004 elections so that Mrs. Arroyo could remain in office to avoid possible defeat in the polls. — Marichu Villanueva