The Minister of Labor and Employment Promotion, Betssy Chavezpresented in his capacity as congressman of the Republic a bill to reform the Constitution and establish that, in the event that a president of the Republic resigns or the vacancy of his position is approved, general elections be called immediately.
Bill 1507/2021-CR was presented before the table of parties of the Legislative Power on March 22 and has the signatures of Chávez and the support of the members of the Democratic Peru caucus, of which she is a member.
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The initiative is signed by Carlos Zeballos, Luis Kamiche, Nieves Limachi, Guillermo Bermejo and former Prime Minister Héctor Valer.
The constitutional reform seeks to include a precision in article 115 where the order of succession is specified in case of temporary or permanent impediment of the head of state.
“In the event of the vacancy or resignation of the President of the Republic, the vice president or the president of Congress immediately calls for general elections for a new period of government,” states Betssy Chávez’s initiative.
It should be remembered that, after the message that President Pedro Castillo gave to Congress, the Prime Minister, Aníbal Torres, assured that the head of state decided to withdraw the proposal for an initiative to advance elections.
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Fundamentals of early elections
The constitutional reform project of Betssy Chávez includes in its justifications the ruling of the Constitutional Court 778/2020 on the vacancy of the president due to permanent moral incapacity. The legislator and minister highlights the evaluation they make there on the fact that the president exercises full powers by popular election and without depending on the confidence of Congress.
It also highlights that political stability must be a pillar of democracy and that this is only possible if the authorities exercise power with “limitations and responsibilities established by the Constitution and the laws.”