For the third time, the Peruvian Congress agreed to debate a project to advance the elections

First modification: 02/01/2023 – 23:41

The impasse in the Peruvian Congress continues. On February 1, once again, legislators rejected the possibility of holding general elections in December of this year. Minutes later they agreed to discuss a new text.

The new project was presented, this time, by the Marxist party Peru Libre. The new initiative aims to cover one of the fundamental demands that Peruvians have been asking for in the streets: the holding of a constituent assembly for the drafting of a new Magna Carta.

“The streets have listened,” said Jaime Quito, a congressman from the Peru Libre party. And he added that the country must give citizens the opportunity to choose whether they want to change their Constitution.

After a tense closing of the parliamentary session, amid shouts and demands from multiple congressmen, Peru will have to wait for a new vote on Thursday that will begin at 10 in the morning (local time) and that would need 87 votes to be approved.

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A highly polarized Congress

The result of this Wednesday shows a deeply fragmented Congress and with enormous disagreements. The project presented by Hernando Guerra, president of the Constitution Commission and deputy from the Fujimori-leaning party Fuerza Popular, did not prosper due to various requests from parliamentarians of different ideologies.

Among the congressmen, 54 supported the idea of ​​advancing the elections, 68 voted against and 2 abstained. It is the second time that the Legislature rejects the advancement of the elections in less than a week.

Ultra-conservative parties such as Renovación Popular opposed the text in unison. While leftist parties strongly criticized that it did not contemplate a constituent assembly.

The text contemplated that the new president would take office in May 2024 and end his term on July 28.

President Dina Boluarte’s warnings

The president, Dina Boluarte, has repeatedly asked Congress to advance the elections, as a way to calm the crisis after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was dismissed and she assumed the leadership of the country, in accordance with the Constitution.

Boluarte had assured on Sunday that if Congress did not approve the advancement of general elections, it would send two projects to ensure that the elections are held this 2023 and also to be able to reform the Constitution.

The first proposal sought a constitutional reform so that the elections could be held at the end of this year. The first round would take place in October and the second in December. A proposal that according to the portal Peru Legal it would have little viability because “a law cannot modify the Legislative and Executive period. This is done through constitutional reform.”

The second proposal would seek that the next Congress designate the commission in charge of a total reform of the 1993 Constitution. A proposal from the Executive that has also been questioned.

Demonstrations do not stop in Peru

Claims against President Dina Boluarte and demanding the release of ex-president Pedro Castillo continue to arrive from the streets of Peru.

The demonstrations began almost two months ago and have been harshly repressed by the country’s Police. At least 58 people have been killed in the protests.

This Wednesday there was a new day of demonstrations in the center of Lima, the capital, and also further south in cities like Cuzco and Puno. In addition, about 80 roads were still blocked.

The Ombudsman of Peru denounced the “racist” speech against multiple indigenous people who have joined the protests.

“We condemn all degrading treatment or racist speech against indigenous people who exercise their #RightToProtest. Phrases of this type only increase the violent confrontation between Peruvians,” the agency said on its Twitter account.

Among the protesters there is another point in common: distrust in Congress. According to polls cited by Reuters, he has only 7% approval.

With EFE and Reuters