Peru's beleaguered president urges congress to bring 2024 elections forward
Source: The Guardian
Peru’s beleaguered president urges congress to bring 2024 elections forward
Dina Boluarte calls for vote to be held in December after weeks of anti-government protests since overthrow of former president
Dan Collyns in Lima and Tom Phillips in Cusco
Fri 27 Jan 2023 22.15 GMT
First published on Fri 27 Jan 2023 21.16 GMT
Peru’s beleaguered president, Dina Boluarte, has urged Congress to bring forward elections scheduled for April 2024 to the end of this year as anti-government protests and blockades intensify across the country.
Boluarte, who has refused to step down despite furious nationwide protests calling for her to resign, said on Friday that elections should be brought forward to December in an attempt to ease the seven weeks of unrest that has claimed 57 lives – mostly civilians killed in clashes with the security forces.
Speaking at a military airbase in Lima, Boluarte said she hoped the unconditional proposal would “get us out of this quagmire”. She said the executive branch of government would call elections as soon as Congress set the date. The deeply unpopular chamber approved bringing forward elections by two years to April 2024 in a first vote earlier this month but must make a second vote to finalise the decision.
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Peru has been embroiled in political turmoil and street violence since early December when former president Pedro Castillo was arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree. Boluarte, his vice-president and former running mate, took office.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/27/peru-elections-dina-boluarte-bring-forward
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