Ecuador: Unconstitutionality Claims Against Cross Death Rejected

Ecuador's Constitutional Court dismissed the unconstitutionality claims filed against the executive decree by which President Guillermo Lasso declared cross-death.

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The Court's decision to dismiss the unconstitutionality claims in all cases was decided unanimously. The judges issued six pronouncements highlighting that "the Constitutional Court does not have jurisdiction to rule on the verification and motivation of the cause of serious political crisis and internal commotion invoked by the president to dissolve the National Assembly."

"Requests for the Court to adopt precautionary measures to provisionally suspend the effects of the challenged Decree were also rejected," the Court said in a statement. 

Earlier, a group of former assembly members filed unconstitutionality claims against Executive Decree No. 741 through which President Guillermo Lasso declared cross-death on Wednesday morning dissolving the National Assembly.

The Constitutional Court of Ecuador inadmits the claims of unconstitutionality filed against Executive Decree No.741. 

In case the Court had declared Lasso's decree unconstitutional, the Parliament would return to its functions, but as it supported it, there will be presidential and legislative elections in the coming months.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) has already announced that the deadline to call early elections is May 24. While the electoral process is taking place, the Government will have to govern through Decree-Laws, in economic matters, which will be analyzed by the Constitutional Court.

The President's action is based on Article 148 of the Ecuadorian Constitution, alleging "serious political crisis and internal commotion."