Blocking. Constitution Commission could reconsider the possibility of a general election this year, but a request for reconsideration filed by Jorge Montoya stopped everything. José Williams, head of the Legislature, did not extend the legislature either.
At half past six in the afternoon yesterday, the plenary session of the Congress voted on the request for the Board of Spokespersons so that the issue of the advancement of general elections can be taken up again in the present annual period of sessions that ends in July. With 69 votes in favour, 35 against and 7 abstentions, said petition was approved.
Until that moment, it could be assumed that the possibility of the next general elections being held before the end of this year arose; however, a maneuver by the congressman Jorge Montoyafrom the Popular Renewal party, of the current mayor of Lima Rafael López Aliaga, left in limbo the prompt realization of a new suffrage that allows renewing the presidency of the country and the Congress of the Republic.
pyrrhic victory
Four reform projects had been rejected by the Legislature. The last one, from the Executive Power, was archived in the Constitution Commission.
In accordance with article 78 of the Regulations of the Congress, When a project is rejected, “the same proposal or another that is to be dealt with on the same subject” cannot be presented until the next annual period of sessions, unless agreed by half plus one of the legal number of Congressmen.
Therefore, yesterday’s vote had allowed the electoral advance to continue debating in the legislature that opens in March. Otherwise, we would have had to wait until August. -when a new annual period of sessions opens- to restart the discussion.
However, despite the clarity of the congressional regulations, Jorge Montoya, from popular renewalraised a point of order to reject the request as it was considered arbitrary and unconstitutional.
Prior to Montoya’s request, the request of the Board of Spokespersons regarding the early elections had been approved with 69 votes in favor, 35 against, and 7 abstentions. Photo: diffusion
The president of the Legislature, Joseph Williamsreplied that this point of order was inappropriate because the Board of Spokespersons has the power to expand the agenda.
“This is to authorize the issue (of early elections) to be seen in the annual period of sessions, which runs until July,” Williams added.
Since cutting a presidential and congressional term implies a constitutional reform, two votes of 87 votes are needed in two consecutive legislatures. Another path was for the reform to be approved with 66 votes and for ratification to be by referendum. Then six benches joined to ask that the debate be resumed: Popular Force, Free Peru, Democratic Peru, Democratic Change, Podemos Peru and Alliance for Progress.
That being the case, until that moment the issue of electoral advancement could be seen again in the Constitution Commission, which would have had to prepare a new opinion with consensus to be submitted to the consideration of the Plenary of Congress.
The problem then was that the deadlines would make it impossible for the general elections to be held this year 2023. The first vote would have been between March and July and the second from August. In other words, we would have had the next elections only in 2024.
So, Montoya He presented the request for reconsideration of the vote, and with it the uncertainty returned to negatively cover the country.
The Montoya Factor
Until then, the issue of electoral advancement could be seen again in the Constitution Commission, which will have to come up with a new project for it to be submitted to the Plenary for consideration. But Montoya returned to the charge and presented a request to reconsider the vote.
Still in the Chamber, the president of Congress, José Williams, reported on Montoya’s request and then continued with the session as if nothing had happened. Suddenly, he adjourned the session and left without another word.
Noting that she had not announced the extension of the legislature, which without that decision would end yesterday at midnight, non-group congresswoman Flor Pablo publicly asked that Williams extend the legislature. As of press time, the head of Parliament opted for silence.
Who did not want to remain silent was the fujimorista Nano Guerra Garcia.
The nano factor
session adjourned, and without Williams having extended the legislature a few more days, enough for the first approval of the electoral advance, the president of the Constitution commission, Hernando Guerra García (Popular Force), appeared before the press to establish the position of Fujimori, and something else.
For a start, Guerra García described as “obstruction” the reconsideration presented by Montoya to approval for the early elections to be seen in the Constitution Commission.
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Hernando Guerra will not be able to meet in the Constitution Commission on the advancement of elections. Photo: diffusion
“It is one thing to have different opinions, and another thing to obstruct. For us, this is obstruction from the side of a radical right that opposes the possibility of early elections. The proposed reconsideration, which is an obstruction, comes from Renovación Popular. This is going to prevent us from being able to meet. As you know, the Constitution commission is in permanent session and we wanted to convene for tomorrow to see it anyway, ”he indicated.
Guerra García added that, since the legislature closed yesterday, the opinion of early elections It should be seen from the first of March.
“Then they will have to seek to reach a consensus to have an early election this year,” Indian.
This is how Congress leaves one of the main citizen demands in limbo.
Electoral advance canceled
Approach. Omar Cairo, constitutionalist.
Unfortunately, congressmen have just scuttled any chance of approval in two, with 87 votes each, of an opinion that leads them to specify the advancement of general elections, This is because the second approval would only be given in the legislature that still begins in August; And even if that happened, it would be very difficult for the elections to be held in 2023, as the citizens demand in the streets.
Consequently, the only viable thing for the advancement of general elections is that the opinion that provides that be processed in the next legislature quickly, be approved with more than 66 votes and be ratified in a referendum (all this well before July).
He National Jury of Elections He said that for the new general elections to be this year, the call should be at the latest on March 20.
If so, then today the congressmen have canceled the possibility that the early elections take place this year.
Omar Cairo questioned the fact that early elections are not prioritized in the context of the political crisis. Photo: The Republic
The data
With 67 votes, the request that the electoral advance can be seen in this annual period of sessions was approved.
