Peruvian Congress Approves New Debate on Early Elections

The Peruvian Congress approved reopening the debate and voting on the substitute text to bring forward the general elections to October 2023. The initiative was rejected last Friday with 65 votes against it. 

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"With 66 votes in favor, the Plenary of Congress approved the reconsideration of the vote on the substitute text of the bills 1897, 1918 and others, on the constitutional reform for the advancement of general elections," the Congress reported via Twitter.

The benches of Renovación Popular, Perú Libre, and Perú Democrático voted, as a block, against, while Fuerza Popular, APP, Avanza País, Podemos and Cambio Democrático - JPP voted in favor. There was an abstention from the Somos Perú bench.

The plenary session is temporarily suspended, and a fourth intermission is granted to reach a consensus on a text on the early elections.  

With 66 votes in favor, the Plenary of Congress approved the reconsideration of the vote on the substitute text of bills 1897, 1918, and others, regarding the constitutional reform for advancing general elections.

"Our country needs to regain peace and find a democratic solution to the crisis. For this reason, I voted in favor of reconsidering early elections. I salute the decision of the Parliament for making this decision possible," said the Congress President, José Williams Zapata.

The day before, Peru's president-designate, Dina Boluarte, said, "If tomorrow there is no consensus in Congress," the Executive "will immediately present the two legislative initiatives as a matter of urgency" so that the elections can still be held in 2023.

The first bill provides for constitutional reform so that general elections will be held this year without fail, with the first round in October and the second round, if necessary, in December. The second proposes that the next elected Parliament entrust the Constitutional Commission with the total reform of the 1993 Constitution.

In this regard, the President of the Council of Ministers, Alberto Otárola, said the Government would wait for the Congress' decision on the proposal to bring forward the elections before indicating whether the Executive will present such bills.

This comes amid a severe social and political crisis in Peru, unleashed after the dismissal of former president Pedro Castillo (2021-2022) on December 7. More than 50 people have been killed by police repression in protests demanding early elections this year and the creation of a Constituent Assembly.