Sunday, November 17

President of Peru yields, asks to advance elections to the end of 2023

After the death of 57 people, 56 of them protesters, since the beginning of the anti-government protests, Boluarte has refused to resign, as the protesters demand.
After the death of 57 people, 56 of them protesters, since the beginning of the anti-government protests, Boluarte has refused to resign, as the protesters demand.

Photo: JUAN CARLOS CISNEROS / AFP / Getty Images

The opinion

For: The opinion Posted Jan 27, 2023, 23:21 pm EST

in the middle of the violent clashes in which more than fifty protesters have diedthe President of Peru, Dina Boluartegave in to one of the demands of the protesters and asked Congress to advance the general elections.

Following the death of 57 people, 56 of them protesters, since the start of the anti-government protests, Boluarte has refused to resignas the dissenters demand, but he did decide to advance the elections for the next month of October, so that they are not carried out until April 2024.

According to El Comercio of Peru, in a speech delivered at a military airbase in Lima, Boluarte said he hoped the unconditional proposal “would get us out of this quagmire.” He said the executive branch would call elections as soon as Congress set the date.

“No one is interested in clinging to power (…) and to me, Dina Boluarte, I am not interested in continuing in the presidency“said the president who was left in charge after the arrest of former president Pedro Castillo for dissolving the Peruvian Congress.

Congress discusses the advancement of the elections

According to the Peruvian newspaper, the Plenary session of Congress debates the advancement of the general elections for October of this year and the Presidential term cut for December. As it is a modification to the Constitution, it requires 87 votes in two legislatures or 66 votes ratified via a referendum.

The proposal of the president of the Constitution Commission is that The general elections are in October of this year.. Then, the new Andean Congress and Parliament would assume their functions on December 31 and the new president or president would do the same on January 1, 2024.

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