Peru lawmakers restart debate on new elections

Although the constitutional committee of Peru’s congress agreed to advance toward new elections, the process is prone to risks, as the committee is riven by political divisions.

On March 7, the committee restarted debate on a new bill to bring forward general elections. On February 17, members of congress voted to instruct the committee to produce a new proposal. Any agreement must be approved unanimously before it can advance.

The committee has time until July, when the legislative term ends, to debate options, committee head Hernando Guerra García of right-wing Fuerza Popular party said, according to a press release.

So far, three options have crystallized in the debates. One involves elections this year, mainly to solve the immediate crisis but without major reforms, another is a referendum to call a constituent assembly, and a third involves elections in 2024, when protest will hopefully have calmed down. If no agreement is reached, a bill will be ready only next year, Guerra said.

Previously, the committee rejected a government-sponsored elections bill, meaning the proposal cannot be debated again before August.

Also, initially, the committee proposed general elections for December 10, 2023, with the presidential term ending on April 30, 2024. The subsequent mandate would be in force from May 1, 2024, to July 28, 2028. But the timeline is too tight for the registration of new parties, while sitting representatives could run again without problems.

The government has not pushed early elections, as it focuses on reactivating the economy through public investment and damage mitigation programs.

A major risk is that protests flare up again because the underlying problems remain unresolved. New upheavals would impact the committee’s timetable and options.