holder of the Constitution Commission would consider including a “non-binding consultation” on the constituent assembly in the substitute text on the early elections that would be presented this Wednesday the 1st, but left-wing benches reject the proposal.
The attempt to reach consensus between the president of the Constitution and Regulation Commission, Hernando Guerra Garciaand the left did not come to fruition and —this Wednesday, February 1— the vote against the replacement text which would be presented to the plenary. The benches of Free Peru, Magisterial Block, Democratic Peru Y Bicentennial Peru have closed ranks around include a referendum on a constituent assembly and they will not accept the proposal elaborated from the right.
Last Tuesday the 31st, the plenary session was suspended, up to two times to seek consensus between the benches and reach the 87 votes required to direct the early elections towards a ratification in a second vote that could take place from February 15, the start date of the new legislature.
After a few hours of reflection, Hernando Guerra Garcia would have evaluated including a “non-binding query” on the constituent assembly in the substitute text on the advancement of elections that would be presented this Wednesday the 1st, but -according to sources consulted by The Republic— It was not carried out in an open dialogue with the leftist caucuses, which they did not approve to this proposal.
“Together with the 2023 General Elections, the following question is submitted for a non-binding consultation: Do you agree with the call for a constituent assembly? For which an additional certificate is added which contains two boxes corresponding to YES and NO, respectively”, says the text proposed by the Constitution Commission.
In this regard, the expert on parliamentary issues Cesar Delgado Guembes told this medium that the proposal does not have the binding character that characterizes a referendum and that Said consultation could only be used as an “input for the state decision-making process by the competent body.” Although he noted that this action would imply that the current Congress admits that “the Constitution can be submitted to its total reform through a constituent assembly”, something that was denied by sectors of the right. The door, currently closed, is ajar to recognize that the Constitution can be amended by a method other than that indicated in article 206”.
Left-wing benches reject non-binding consultation
The proposal fell badly among the left benches that have as their flag the change of the Constitution through a constituent assembly, which they described as a “scam” the proposal to include a “non-binding consultation” on the subject. So he made it known to The Republic the congressman Jaime Quito, of Free Peruwho pointed out that the proposal “it’s a bad joke” and that for queries “enough with the surveys that are non-binding queries”.
“They are raising trial balloons just to entertain, all they want is to keep the coup Congress and the Boluarte dictatorship,” said. Given this scenario, he ratified that the vote of his bench will be against, waiting for the majority opinion to be rejected, so that the minority opinion is then debated, presenting for his parliamentary group: “If the majority opinion is not approved , the minority opinion must be debated and voted on, for which we are willing to propose a separate vote for both requests. So there is no conditioningonly that the people are listened to ”.
Meanwhile, from the Magisterial Block of National Agreement, edgar tello He commented that “it would be disrespectful” raise that proposal: “The sovereign is respected, the people have the right to express themselves in the referendum and they cannot say non-binding.” The vote of his bench will be against. position that is shared by Democratic Perua party that, through the legislator Nieves Limachiwho expressed to The Republic, they don’t agree with it. The same posture would be handled by Bicentennial Peru.
