The President of Peru, Dina Boluarte, announced this Sunday two constitutional reform projects to hold general elections this year, in case Congress does not approve the early elections.
One of Boluarte’s proposals is to hold the elections on the second Sunday of October, the 15th, while the second round would be held in December.
Secondly, he has indicated that the second bill is a reform of the 1993 Constitution by the next elected Parliament, after its approval in the Congress it must be submitted to a referendum so that the citizens may decide if the reform is approved.
«The proposal of the Executive with this legislative initiative, seeks a wide participation of the citizenship, especially of those most excluded sectors of the society», he has expressed after sustaining that «this bill fits perfectly with the expectation that a sector of the Congress has».
Likewise, the Peruvian President criticized the Parliament for not having been able to approve the electoral advance, despite the fact that the massive demonstrations that are taking place are calling for it.
«The Congress of the Republic was debating on the advancement of elections to 2023. And as we already know at this hour, (it has been) a sterile debate (in which) nothing concrete has been reached except the reconsideration that tomorrow it will be debated and that, we hope, deserves a second reflection, given the seriousness of the situation,» Boluarte lamented.
The Peruvian Ombudsman’s Office has pointed out this Sunday the responsibility of the country’s institutions, criticizing that «the death of people in protests is not a ‘social cost’, nor a ‘collateral damage'».
«The most morally repulsive way to act is to let people die when you have in your hands the political power to pacify and change the tragic course of these days. The Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch can do it,» reads a statement from the agency, which has reported that 58 deaths have been registered since the beginning of the protests.
Peru is in the midst of a deep political crisis following the dismissal by Congress of former President Pedro Castillo, who announced on December 7 the dissolution of the Andean Parliament and the establishment of an emergency government.
Following the arrest of the former president, tens of thousands of people came out to protest in various parts of the country to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the dissolution of Congress and the urgent calling of presidential elections.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
