Peru Congress votes down new bid to advance elections

LIMA: Peru’s Congress on Thursday voted down another proposal to advance elections to this year, a day after a similar proposal aimed at quelling deadly nationwide unrest also failed.

In addition to moving elections up from April 2024 to July 2023, the proposal rejected Thursday included the calling of a referendum on forming a constitutional convention — another key demand of protesters.

The proposal by the Free Peru party was rejected with 75 votes against and only 48 in favour, with one abstention.

The vote Wednesday on a proposal to advance elections to October 2023, without the constitutional convention referendum, had been backed by President Dina Boluarte.

The president’s office said on Twitter it regretted the vote Wednesday and vowed to immediately present another bill to hold general elections this year.

Peru has been embroiled in a political crisis with near-daily demonstrations since Dec 7, when then-president Pedro Castillo was arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.

In seven weeks of demonstrations, 48 people — including a police officer — have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters, according to the human rights ombudsman’s office.

Roadblocks erected by protesters have caused shortages of food, fuel and other basic commodities in several regions of the Andean nation.

Demonstrators, who were out in the capital Lima again on Thursday, demand the dissolution of Congress, a new constitution, and the resignation of Boluarte, who as vice president took over with Castillo gone.

Jaime Quito, the leftist sponsor of the bill that failed Thursday, said after the vote that “Congress must close.”

“What will happen is that Dina Boluarte will have to resign,” he added.

In December, lawmakers moved elections, originally due in 2026, up to April 2024, but as protesters dug in their heels, Boluarte called for holding the vote this year instead. — AFP