The Peruvian Congress Fails to Agree on the Acceleration of Elections Even though Dozens of Protesters Kill, President Boluarte: I'm Sorry

Protesters in Peru. (Wikimedia Commons/Candy Sotomayor)

JAKARTA - The Peruvian Congress on Wednesday rejected a proposal to move the election forward to December 2023, even though dozens of protesters have been killed in protests that have lasted nearly two months, since the impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo.

Lawmakers continued to debate different proposals for calling early elections, the main demands of the protesters. However, the Peruvian Congress is highly fragmented and it is difficult to reach an agreement.

The first proposal, which came from the far-right Popular Force Party, was rejected by 68 lawmakers, and 54 voted in favour, with two abstentions.

"I regret that the Congress has not reached the necessary consensus to move forward the election", President Dina Boluarte said on Twitter.

"We will soon submit a bill so that the Peruvian people can choose their authorities democratically in 2023", he continued.

Jorge Montoya, a congressman and spokesman for the right-wing Popular Renovation party said during Wednesday's debate that early elections were unconstitutional and members of Congress should be allowed to complete their terms.

Now, Castillo's Peru Libre party will try to win votes for their proposal, which includes a non-binding referendum on a new constitution and new members of Congress.

"We want to leave our seats, but not before taking the first steps for a new constitution", Maria Aguero, a member of Congress from Peru Libre, told Reuters after the vote.

"That means asking people whether they want or don't want a new constitution."

It is known that an 87-vote majority is needed to advance the proposal, while 66 votes are needed for a national referendum.

Violent protests erupted over the weekend after Congress postponed a vote amid the fighting, which led to the death of a protester and prompted President Boluarte to say he would put forward his own proposal if Congress failed to reach a deal.

Protesters have over the past weeks blocked roads, taken over the airport and set fire to several buildings, with demands including early elections, the closing of Congress, the resignation of President Boluarte and release of Castillo from prison.

Former President Castillo is currently being held in pre-trial detention on charges of rebellion after attempting to illegally dissolve Congress.

Congress, which has an approval rating of just 7 per cent according to the latest opinion polls, earlier agreed to move the election originally scheduled for 2026 to April 2024. But that failed to quell the unrest.

"We reiterate our call to Congress to view this proposal with the sense of responsibility and urgency that the country demands", President Boluarte said Wednesday.