The president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, presented this Monday (25) to the country’s Parliament a project that seeks to call a referendum on the creation of a new Constitution.
Politically tormented since taking office in August of last year, the leftist leader aims to increase the role of the state in the Peruvian economy, one of his campaign promises.
The measure, however, has very little chance of being approved, since the country’s law requires that referendums be authorized by the Legislature, now controlled by the opposition.
Also on Monday, the leader of Parliament, opposition MarÃa del Carmen Alva, criticized the government’s proposal and accused Castillo of wanting to transform the country into “a Cuba or Venezuela.”
In conversation with journalists, she considered the measure “unconstitutional and unfeasible” and said that if the government convenes a Constituent Assembly, the matter will be brought to court. “The objective of this government is to close the Congress. Without Congress there is no democracy”, she highlighted.
The Peruvian Executive, in turn, sees the installation of a new Magna Carta as fundamental to reduce the country’s economic inequalities, attributed by the government to the current Constitution, promulgated in 1993 by the then dictator Alberto Fujimori -father of Castillo’s main political adversary, Keiko Fujimori.
The bill presented on Monday provides for a question to be included in the October municipal elections, asking voters whether they “approve the convening of a Constituent Assembly charged with drafting a new political constitution.”
In the event of a “yes” vote, according to the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio, the Constituent Assembly would be made up of 130 participants, 40% of whom would need to be members of political organizations, 30% independents, 26% indigenous and 4% descendants of Africans.
The body would only be responsible for writing the new Constitution, which, in case of approval, would be done in nine months, with the possibility of extending it for another 120 days.
When presenting the proposal, Peruvian Prime Minister AnÃbal Torres – the fourth in eight months of government – ​​refuted the opposition’s arguments and said that an eventual new Constitution would be drafted only by the constituents and would not suffer interference from the Executive.
“I want to make it clear that neither the President of the Republic nor the Ministers of State will write a single letter of this Constitution. The Constitution is drawn up by the Constituent Assembly, which is the power of power, the supreme power over which there is no other power”, said the prime minister.
Castillo’s political momentum, however, does nothing to help his pretensions. At the beginning of the month, a series of protests broke out in the country against the increase in fuel prices, in what were considered the first major demonstrations against his government. Still weighing against the president is his government’s record disapproval: 76% in April, according to an Ipsos survey – he has already been the subject of two impeachment proceedings, but they have not been successful. The rejection of Congress, on the other hand, is even higher, reaching 79%.
The leftist tried to contain the protests by decreeing a curfew in Lima, but the protesters ignored the decision and remained in the streets. At the time, the insurgents marched through the streets saying they would enter Parliament and threw bottles at the police, who reacted with tear gas.
At the same time, transport workers blocked roads in different cities against the price of gasoline, and protesters in Huánuco set up roadblocks against the high price of agricultural fertilizers.
It is in this context that Castillo tries to approve the new Constituent Assembly, which, at least in speech, aims to improve the distribution of income in the country. If he fails, however, the leftist will continue in the political crisis that has plagued the country for at least four years, with presidents who are unable to complete their term.
In 2018, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned amid corruption scandals. His deputy, MartÃn Vizcarra, was sworn in and ruled for just over two years, until he was removed in an impeachment process.
Vizcarra was then succeeded by President of Congress Manuel Merino, who stayed in office for five days after protests against his predecessor’s impeachment. Who remained in power until Castillo took office was deputy Francisco Sagasti, who took over with a conciliatory tone and promising elections.
