Peru: MEPs reject the president's proposal to bring the ballot forward

Peru: a delegation from Ollantaytambo, a town known for its Inca fortress, demonstrated on January 26, 2023 in front of the courthouse in Lima to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.

REUTERS - LIZ TASA

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

 The Parliament of Peru rejected this Saturday morning the request of the Peruvian president who wanted the holding of early elections, at the end of this year, in order to get the country out of the “quagmire”.

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The bill tabled Friday evening by the presidency provided for the elections to be brought forward to December 2023, instead of April 2024 as

decided last month

under pressure from the streets.

In plenary session, at the end of a debate which lasted seven hours, the parliamentarians objected to the text by 65 votes, while 45 elected officials voted in favor, and two abstained, Saturday shortly after 00:00 local time (05:00 UT) .

"

With this vote, the proposal for constitutional reform aimed at advancing the elections is rejected

," said Congress President José Williams, a former soldier and head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces.

The latter received, after the vote, a request for " 

reconsideration of the vote

" which could be debated on Monday during a new session, although it now seems very difficult to reconsider this result, specifies the

Agence France press

.

The Peruvian president, calling for early elections on Friday in order to get the country out of "

 the quagmire in which we are

 ", said she supported the opposition's initiative to bring forward the presidential and legislative elections to December 2023.

“ 

No one has an interest in clinging to power (...) I have no interest in remaining in the presidency.

If I am here, it is because I have assumed my constitutional responsibility and we will be here until Parliament (…) calls elections

”, added

Dina Boluarte

.

Ms Boluarte has ruled Peru since the

December 7 dismissal

by parliament of former president-elect

Pedro Castillo

, which sparked violent protests in which 46 civilians and a police officer died.

His mandate runs until 2026, at the end of the mandate of his predecessor.

To read also

: In Peru, blockades and strikes weigh on the country's economy

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  • Peru

  • Dina Boluarte