Peru: what will happen if Congress does not approve evaluating the advance of the elections?

The President of the Republic, Dina Boluarte, gave a message to the Nation tonight to demand that Congress reconsider its vote and approve the advancement of elections to 2023.

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He announced that, if the consensus in Parliament does not prosper, the Government will immediately present two urgent initiatives: the first for the elections to be held in October and the second seeks the “total reform” of the Constitution via the Legislature itself.

“I announce that -if the consensus in Congress does not prosper to advance the elections to 2023-, the Executive will immediately present two initiatives, the first is a constitutional reform so that the general elections are this year, the first round in October and the second in December,” said Boluarte.

general elections would be the second Sunday of October 2023, detailed the head of state.

He specified that the other proposal is aimed at allowing the next Congress of the Republic to entrust the Constitution Commission with the “total reform” of the Magna Carta of 1993.

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After your approval would be put to a referendum, indicated. This bill, he added, fits into the expectation of a sector of Congress to carry out political reforms through a constituent assembly.

The Congress of the Republic will evaluate this Monday, from 10:00 am, the request for reconsideration of the bill that proposes the advancement of general elections to October 2023.

“There would be no more pretexts (…) we propose that the total reform process have its legal arm in Law 27600, which says that Congress proposes a project of total reform of the Constitutiontaking into account the historical Constitution of Peru and after its approval it will be submitted to a referendum so that the people decide if the total reform is approved or not”, he remarked.

Boluarte pointed out that Congress must understand that it has a historical responsibility. “Tomorrow (Monday) vote for Peru, in favor of the country, advancing the elections to 2023 and let’s tell all of Peru that we’re all leaving,” he exclaimed.

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The specialist in parliamentary law Alejandro Rospigliosi pointed out to Trade that if Congress rejects the early elections, Boluarte cannot present a bill on the same subject until the next legislature. This is established in article 78 of the Regulations of the Congress.

However, the president has the power to convene a extraordinary legislature. This could be carried out between February 11 and 14, so that Congress can analyze the two proposals that it would present during that period.

Boluarte’s proposal was announced at an adverse situation for the country. Last Saturday, during the protests against the Government and Congress, a new death was registered: the citizen Víctor Santiesteban Yacsavilca (55) died when the National Police of Peru (PNP) dispersed the people who remained at the intersection of Av. Nicolás de Piérola with Abancay, in the Cercado de Lima.

Santisteban Yacsavilca had to be attended by a group of brigade members after being hit in the head. Later, they transferred him to the Grau Emergency Hospital, where his death was confirmed.

The Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of the Public Ministry shared the autopsy certificate of the deceased. His body was examined on January 29, 2023, one day after the demonstrations.

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According to official information, the causes of Víctor Santisteban’s death were contusion and encephalic laceration, a brain injury usually caused by an impact to the head; a skull fracture, break in a bone; and a severe head injury.

Regarding the causative agents, the Forensic Tanatology Unit recorded a hard forceful element that caused the death. The Ministry of the Interior indicated that the Homicide Division of the PNP, with the participation of the Public Ministry, is already investigating this fact, in accordance with its legal powers.

EL Comercio (Peru) / GDA

* Grupo de Diarios América (GDA), to which EL TIEMPO belongs, is a leading media network founded in 1991, which promotes democratic values, the independent press and freedom of expression in Latin America through quality journalism for our hearings.