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The Union for Hope bench in Ecuador's National Assembly asked for a discussion in Parliament on the possibility of dismissing Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso.
The request comes amid an indefinite national strike led by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) against the Lasso administration, in which five deaths have been registered so far.
The 47 Union for Hope (UNES) members announced their resignation from their seats in Parliament, looking for early elections.
UNES legislator Marcela Holguín said via Twitter: "I, Marcela Holguín, assembly member for Pichincha, have just put my signature to advance elections in accordance with article 130, number two, of the Constitution."
The other 46 UNES legislators echoed this message, while Dina Farinango and Angel Maita, from the indigenous movement Pachakutik, CONAIE's political arm, also joined the UNES initiative. On the contrary, the political parties Democratic Left and Social Christian Party (PSC) discarded their support for the UNES proposal.
Yo, Marcela Holguín, Asambleísta por Pichincha, acabo de poner mi firma para adelantar elecciones de acuerdo con el Art.130.2 de la Constitución.
— Marcela Holguín (@marcelaholguin) June 24, 2022
Mi cargo a disposición de mi pueblo. ¿Qué harán los otros 136 asambleístas? #VotosNoBalas
I, Marcela Holguín, Assemblywoman for Pichincha, have just put my signature to advance elections in accordance with Art.130.2 of the Constitution. My position is at the disposal of my people. What will the other 136 assembly members do?
Article 130 number two of the Ecuadorian Constitution legitimizes the power of the National Assembly to dismiss the president in case of severe political crisis and internal commotion. This requires 92 of the total 137 votes of the Assembly.
The presidential dismissal process called cross-death entails the holding of early elections for both the Presidency and the National Assembly (unicameral Parliament). Assembly Speaker Virgilio Saquicela would have to receive a petition from 46 out of a total of 137 members of the legislature to make the dismissal request official.
Once the request becomes official, Saquicela must summon the Assembly in a plenary session 24 hours in advance and give notice to the President, who must exercise his right of defense before the Assembly's debate. Under the cross-death mechanism, the president could dissolve the Assembly and rule for a period of six months through executive decrees, pending new legislative and presidential elections.
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