JAKARTA - Peru President Dina Boutte submitted a new bill to advance elections until 2023 to calm protesters, as Congress repeatedly failed to reach an agreement following weeks of political conflict.
The bill proposes holding congressional and presidential elections in October this year, with elected officials taking power at the end of December. The elected officials will serve for five years until July 2028.
Peru is in the grip of anti-government protests for about eight weeks, leaving 48 people dead in clashes between demonstrators and security forces, mostly in the south of copper-rich Peru.
The accelerated new election became the main demand for protesters after former left-wing president Pedro Castillo was impeached in December after trying to dissolve Congress.
The new bill comes after a series of proposals for the acceleration of elections failed to be agreed by Congress, including one Wednesday proposal after days of closed-door negotiations failing to generate consensus.
This is because fragmented political parties cannot agree, how to move forward even though broad public support for a voice is needed.
Several right-wing Congressmen opposed his term of office being shortened. Meanwhile, left-wing factions say they will not support the bill, unless it also includes non-binding referendums to the new constitution.
Boarte, who is a former deputy Castillo, announced plans for a bill for rapid elections and constitutional amendments over the weekend, following violent protests in the capital that killed one person.
Meanwhile, Peru Libre, Castillo's party, submitted a bill for early elections and a referendum is not binding on a new constitution that was rejected Thursday evening.
Separately, Prime Minister Alberto Otarola is scheduled to submit a bill from the executive to the Congressional commission on Friday afternoon local time.
It is known that protesters around Peru have blocked highways with trees, large stones and tires, taken over regional airports and burned buildings, affected the transportation of goods, businesses, and the operation of several major mines in the world's number two copper producer.
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