Dina Boluarte regrets that Congress has not set a date for general elections in Peru

() — Peru’s President Dina Boluarte says she regrets that Congress has been unable to agree on a date for the general elections.

“We regret that the Congress of the Republic has not been able to agree to define the date of the general elections where Peruvians can freely and democratically elect the new authorities,” wrote in a tweet Peru’s presidential account on Twitter.

“We urge the benches to put down their partisan and group interests and place the interests of Peru above. Our citizens promptly await a clear response that will pave a way out of the political crisis and build social peace, ”he added.

Earlier, the Peruvian Congress had rejected a motion to advance the elections to December 2023. The proposal obtained 45 votes in favor, 62 votes against, and 2 abstentions.

The head of Parliament, José Williams Zapata, announced this Saturday that after the initial vote, a “reconsideration” of the result was presented.

Congress will meet again on Monday at 10 am local time, Zapata said.

Nearly two months after Pedro Castillo’s removal from office, Boluarte’s presidency is under even greater siege than his predecessor’s. Several ministers in his government have resigned as the country has been rocked by the most violent protests in decades.

The president was forced to call for a truce once again this week, this time appealing to the protesters, many of whom hail from rural, indigenous-majority Peru. Boluarte said in Quechua that she is one of them.