Vizcarra finishes his National Day speech with a bombshell

PERU - In Brief 28 Jul 2019 by Roberto Abusada

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A few hours ago, president Martin Vizcarra delivered the customary July 28thspeech before Congress where as usual he enumerated his government´s achievements during the last 12 months. However, towards the end of his presentation the President explained that the Executive Branch proposals for a political reform had been approved by Congress but in variance with the spirit of the government´s proposals. In particular que complained about the fact that Congress had not accepted the demand for a change relating as to what body would decide to lift the immunity of indictment status of Congress members. While traditionally only Congress can allow one of its members to be prosecuted by the Judiciary, the government had proposed that such privilege should be given instead to the Supreme Court. Vizcarra then concluded that while Congress had approved a confidence vote back in April regarding the six provisions comprising crucial elements of the political reform, Congress had in many instances change the “essence” of the government´s proposals and, in that sense, the confidence granted was in some way spurious. The president went on to say that in his extensive travelling throughout the country he had listened clamorous demands for him to dismiss Congress (something a president is constitutionally allowed to do after two consecutive cabinets are denied a confidence vote). Instead he submitted to Congress a proposal to hold general elections in 2020 instead of 2021 thus cutting short both Congress and his own government period. The proposal, he said, would be decided on a referendum.Peru´s political system is not a parliamentary one, where the prime minister can call new electio...