Boluarte demands that Congress reconsider early elections “without apologies”.

Euskaraz irakurri: “Aitzakiak utzi” and hauteskundeak aurreratzea berraztertzeko eskatu dio Boluartek Kongresuari

The President of Peru, Dinah Boluarteon Saturday urged the Peruvian Congress to “without pretext” the electoral advance requested by the president to stop the violent protests in the country following the arrest of former president Pedro Castillo, a request rejected by the chamber last night.

“Congress needs to think and work on the country, 83 percent of the population wants early elections,” Boluarte explained, referring to one of the latest surveys of the Institute of Peruvian Studies (IEP), published in the newspaper ‘The Republic’ .

Peruvian legislatures have a five-year term, the electoral advance and the consequent reduction of a mandate, must be preceded by a constitutional amendment bill to be passed by Congress. The constitutional reform proposed by Boluarte pointed to the advance of general elections to December 2023 and the reduction of presidential and parliamentary mandates to April 30 of the following year, the period of which would in principle end in July 2026.

The measure has only received the support of 49 members of Congress, while another 33 have spoken against it and 25 others have abstained, falling far short of the numbers needed to pass constitutional reform, according to the RPP radio station.

“Don’t look for excuses not to bring the elections forward, vote against the country, don’t hide behind an abstention. Whether white or black, half measures will not solve the country’s problems,” he said.

The chairman too has deniedin turn, the possibility of resign. “What is solved with my resignation, is the problem solved? No, the problem is not solved (…) Here we are going to stand firm until Congress decides the early elections,” he stressed.

The head of state, who took office on December 7 to replace Pedro Castillo, claims hers is “a transitional government” and that she made the decision not to complete her term by “interpreting the will of the citizenry as broadly as possible” .

Castillo is currently in prison, having been removed by Congress after ordering the dissolution of parliament, announcing the formation of an emergency government, which would rule by decree, convene a Constituent Assembly and reorganize the justice system.