In a tug-of-war between Parliament and Dina Boluarte’s government, the crisis in Peru — which unleashed after the dismissal of Pedro Castillo — is muzzled in the repeated parliamentary rejection to plans to bring forward the elections.
Before insistent n Congress, the Peruvian Prime Minister, Alberto Otárola, announced that the government, by order of President Dina Boluarte, presented in Parliament another bill to bring forward the holding of the general elections for 2023 and hold a constitutional referendum.
The bill was presented after Congress on Wednesday rejected by 54 votes to 68, with 2 abstentions, another bill, introduced by Fujimorismo, which proposed holding general elections in 2023, but that did not include consultation on the constituent.
The advance of the election is one of the statements of protesters who have been protesting since December, plunging the country into violent protests and checkpoints, and a huge crackdown with dozens of deaths.
The prime minister particularly regretted “that parliamentarians have not been able to find a consensus to approve this year’s elections” in response to the social tensions that have been going on for almost two months.
“We have presented a proposal which by constitutional mandate has urgency and priority“, declared Otárola, and added: “we hope that in the coming days the Parliament will promptly examine this bill to contribute to the peace and tranquility that the country requires”.
After insuring it the president “will not resign”, Otárola explained that the proposal provides for Boluarte to hold general elections to elect president and vice-presidents, as well as deputies, the second Sunday of October 2023.
Parliament, he concluded, “will be able to approve other laws necessary for the holding of the 2023 elections, until February 28 of this year”, when the current legislature ends.
Conference delays
But the Peruvian Congress delayed by a few hours this Thursday the plenary session in which this new bill was to be discussed to bring forward the general elections, which implies the organization of presidential and parliamentary elections, and also a consultation on a constituent assembly.
The session was moved to 15:00 local time (17 in Argentina), according to an order read by an official of Parliament, at the request of the deputy Jaime Quito, of the Peru Libre party, the self-styled Marxist party that led Pedro Castillo to the presidency.
Parliament decided this Wednesday to debate a new project to bring forward the general elections to October 2023, a third initiative which was presented minutes after rejecting another legislative project.
Quito, who was the one who presented the project, asked that the Peruvian people be able to decide whether or not they want a new constitution, since, from his party, “he has listened to the streets” and today more than ever he considers that the opinion of Peruvians should not be ignored.
The call for a constituent assembly was a campaign promise by former president Pedro Castillo, and one of the main demands of protesters in anti-government protests since early December.
The rescheduling has been criticized by several MPs from right-wing parties, who believe that the initiative does not have sufficient support and that the decision is only being postponed.
Congress this Wednesday rejected, by 54 votes to 68 and 2 abstentions, another bill, presented by Fujimorismo, which proposed holding general elections in 2023, but which it did not include consultation on the constituent.
EFE extension
ap
Source: Clarin
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