Lower House debates YPF draft bill

The Lower House of Congress began on Wednesday the YPF draft bill debate over the expropriation of the oil company that has been already preliminary approved by the Senate.

The head of the Energy Committee of the Lower House, Victory Front's Rosana Bertone opened the debate by assuring that the government "did not give any sign that threatened the judicial security" and that "there won't be any reason" for an international controversy between Argentina and Spain.

Radical Party's lawmaker Ricardo Alfonsín anticipated that he will vote in favour, but questioned President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and the ex head of state, late Néstor Kirchner, over their support to the oil company's privatization back in the 90's.

"Now they admit the damage done," Alfonsín continued, as he placed a sign with the pictures of Hipólito Yrigoyen and Enrique Mosconi over his desk that read "They created it, they did not hand it over."

Civic Coalition's Elisa Carrió anticipated that she will vote against the draft bill, and assured that the head of Repsol, Antonio Brufau, and Planning Minister Julio De Vido "should go to jail for the emptying" of YPF.

"I'm convinced that there are plenty of people of the pro-government bloc that has nothing to do with it," Carrió said and added "I'm talking about the adults that kill and take the children to the slaughter house so that the traditional Peronism can put the blame on the activisits from La Cámpora."

The debate lasted until midnight and will go on a recess to continue at 10am. The government-sponsored bill will determine the expropriation of the 51 percent of the shares of YPF so far owned by Spain-based energy company Repsol.

Last week, the draft bill was preliminary approved by the Upper House of Congress.