Still the majority of the opposition of the recently dissolved National Assembly of Ecuador he trusts he can revoke the decree of President Guillermo Lasso return to his duties and continue the political process that could lead to the removal of the president, even if the electoral authority has already anticipated that new elections could be held on August 20th.
The last word, however, the Constitutional Court has itwhich has yet to pronounce itself on the appeals of the opponents and which usually takes time to pronounce itself.
The former head of the ceased Assembly, Virgilio Saquicela, told the Associated Press on Thursday that he had filed a personal lawsuit before that court arguing that the decree with which Lasso dissolved the Assembly is not consistent as there was no social unrest in the country.
Lasso dissolved the Assembly the day before he was starting a political process against him for alleged misappropriation of public funds.
three causes
The decision was based on an article of the constitution which gives the president the power to dissolve the Legislature only once for three reasons: when the Assembly has assumed functions that do not correspond to it, due to the obstruction of the national development plan or because of a serious political crisis and internal turmoil.
“We ask, we ask for an immediate ruling by the Constitutional Court,” said Saquicela, who asked the court to rule within a maximum period of two days. In turn, he kept it two other lawsuits were filed: one from the Christian Social Party (PSC) and another from the Pachakutik indigenous force.
But the government minister, Henry Cucalón, argued in a press conference that the decree dissolving the Assembly is up to “the judgment, criteria, discretion and justification of the head of state” and that does not require approval from any agency.
After the dissolution of the Lazo Assembly he can rule by decree for up to six months on economic and administrative matters, always with the approval of the Constitutional Court. At the same time, the National Electoral Council must call elections and those elected must complete the current presidential and legislative terms ending in May 2025.
MPs hope the Constitutional Court resolves the request before the National Electoral Council calls new elections.
Attorney and election analyst Medardo Oleas explained to the Associated Press that when the electoral period is declared open, the highest authority will be the National Electoral Council and according to the constitutional norm “No authority can interfere in the process”. He added that if the Constitutional Court interferes with any ruling, its members “could be fired.”
Diana Atmaint, president of the National Electoral Council, told the Teleamazonas television network that the body You have until May 24 to call the elections. which would be held on August 20 and October 15, in case a second round was needed. The final decision of this body will be adopted on Thursday evening.
Saquicela accused the government of “inoperative, unable to solve the real problems of Ecuadorians” in terms of health, transport and security, adding: “I don’t want to justify whether the Assembly was good or bad, what I defend is the constitutional framework and institutional.
Lasso, a 67-year-old right-wing former banker, assumed power in May 2021 for a period of four years and since the beginning of his mandate he has had to face strong legislative opposition led by the majority of the Unión por la Esperanza party, close to former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017).
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.