Peruvian Congress rejects second proposal to bring elections forward to 2023

The Congress of Peru rejected, this Wednesday, 1st, a bill to bring forward the general elections to 2023. The proposal comes amid a wave of protests against the president Dina Boluarte due to the serious crisis that the country has been experiencing since Pedro Castillo he was removed from office in December 2022. For seven weeks, Peru has been the scene of demonstrations calling for Boluarte’s resignation, general elections and a new Constituent Assembly. However, this Wednesday, after a five-hour debate, the plenary did not approve for the second time a proposal, by President Dina Boluarte herself, to bring forward the elections. In all, there were 54 votes in favor and 68 against, in addition to two abstentions. 87 votes were needed to approve the legislative initiative, which proposed holding the election in December of this year. The Peruvian leader’s request for a new anticipation of the elections comes at a time of relentless marches and roadblocks that have generated problems of shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies. “If the parties Fuerza Popular and Alianza para el Progreso are asking for what they had already presented – an anticipation of the elections for 2023 -, that this proposal be resumed, in this sense, which has no conditions and will get us out of the quagmire we are in” , said Boluarte last Friday, the 27th, when he presented the request for the anticipation of the elections.