Congress of Peru rejects president’s request to advance the elections to October 2023
The Congress of Peru rejected on Friday (01.28.2023) the request of President Dina Boluarte to advance the elections to October 2023. After more than 8 hours of debate, a project proposed in this regard, by the president of the Constitution Commission, the Fujimorista Hernando Guerra García, obtained 45 votes in favor, 65 against and 2 abstentions.
The proposal was a constitutional reform, which had to pass with the favorable vote of 87 parliamentarians in two consecutive legislatures in order to be approved. After a long debate, the representatives of leftist parties demanded the holding of a Constituent Assembly, they considered that the proposal for the elections of Fuerza Popular Party hid traps.
President Boluarte had urged Congress on Friday morning to advance the elections scheduled for April 2024 to 2023 to get Peru “out of the quagmire we are in”, acknowledging the protests, blockades and violence that are advocating for his resignation.
After the result was agreed, the president of Congress, José Williams, reported that a request for reconsideration had been raised. It will be debated next Monday, when again, the parliamentarians must vote on the proposal.
“With this vote, the constitutional reform proposal for the advancement of elections is rejected,” concluded Williams.
mg (affp, efe)
