allende argued he had obeyed constitutional means for including military men to the cabinet "at the service of civic peace and national security, defending republican institutions against insurrection and terrorism". in contrast, he said that congress was promoting a "coup d’état" or a civil war with a declaration "full of affirmations that had already been refuted before-hand" and which, in substance and process (directly handing it to the ministers rather than directly handing it to the president) violated a dozen articles of the constitution. he further argued that the legislature was usurping the government's executive function.