Peru's president calls for early general elections to end institutional crisis

LIMA -- Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra on Sunday proposed early general elections as a way to overcome an impasse over reforms.

The proposal to advance the elections from 2021 to 2020 came after the opposition-controlled congress only agreed to pass a watered-down anti-corruption reform package.

The president has clashed with Congress repeatedly. Media reported that he had threatened to dissolve Congress and force new legislative elections in June so as to push through his reforms.

Following a string of scandals that have undermined the public's trust in the government, Peruvians approved in a referendum last December Vizcarra's reforms, which aim to curb rampant corruption in government.

The reforms consist of barring corrupt politicians from running for public office, more campaign finance controls, greater power for the judiciary to strip legislators of immunity from prosecution if suspected of graft, higher grassroots participation in political parties, and gender equality.

"Taking into account that the trust requested for the reforms has been approved only in words and denied in facts, I have decided, as a consequence, to once again put the interests of Peru above all," Vizcarra said in a nationwide address marking the country's Independence Day.

"I propose a way out of this institutional crisis. I present Congress a constitutional reform for the calling of early general elections, which implies cutting the congressional mandate to July 28, 2020," he added.

Acknowledging that early general elections would also shorten his presidential mandate, Vizcarra said that "with this action, the foundations of our republic will be reinforced, even if it means we must all go."

The initiative is to be put to a referendum so Peruvians can have a direct say in the matter, he said.

The president's proposal to hold early general elections was met with objection form leaders of Congress who said that the legislature would defend the institutional framework of the five-year term.