The president of Ecuadorthe conservative Guillermo Lasso, decreed this Wednesday in the middle of the political trial against him, to dissolve the National Assembly, with an opposition majority, and to call early general elections, so that he will govern by decree until his successor takes office.
In a message to the nation, Lasso announced this measure, contemplated in the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008, due to the “serious internal and political commotion” that the country is experiencing, according to the agency. efe.
I have signed Executive Decree 741, with the objective of dissolving the National Assembly and requesting the CNE to call elections.
Ecuadorians: this is the best decision to give a constitutional solution to the political crisis and
internal commotion that supports…— Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) May 17, 2023
The presidential decision comes after he appeared before the Assembly on Tuesday to make his defense statement against the accusation made by the opposition for an alleged crime of embezzlement (embezzlement).
The president used what is called “cross death” to dissolve the Chamber, a legal figure that he can adopt for this purpose, and not wait for the debate that was to take place in Parliament to later vote on a motion of no confidence.
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The approval of the motion of censure to dismiss the Head of State would have required 92 votes, equivalent to two thirds of the chamber.
It is the first time that the “cross death” has been applied since its introduction into the Constitution in 2008 under the government of Rafael Correa, points out a report from the BBC. Correa assured on Twitter that Lasso’s decision is illegal.
