The President of Peru seeks to advance the elections of one year and curtail its mandate

After the announcement, Congress leader, businessman Pedro Olaechecha, said that even if legislators do not stick to the position, Parliament will defend the framework the proposal creates uncertainty and increased political conflict.

Vizcarra, in his traditional speech of national holidays in Parliament, he said the proposal would be presented to Congress because the legislator has not approved all the reforms that he has raised to fight corruption.

The presidential and legislative terms have a parallel period of five years and the current term ends in July 2021.

"Peru wants a new beginning, the Peruvians must be able to choose their destiny to go to the bicentenary of Peru.This action will strengthen the foundations of our Republic, even if it means that we all have to go there."said the president, raising a page with the proposal in hand.

Vizcarra said the proposal had the character of a "constitutional reform" and therefore needed to be ratified by a popular consultation in a referendum.

The surprise announcement was made at a time when the government and Congress are facing a series of political reforms that the executive presented a few months ago, but that the majority opposition parliament approved only partially.

One of the reforms claimed by Vizcarra This is to lift the immunity currently enjoyed by legislators if they are accused of common law crimes.

REJECTION OF THE CONGRESS

In his televised message, Vizcarra claimed that he had traveled the country last year and that the population was asking him to close the Congress, one of the most discredited institutions in the country, which is also translated by opinion polls.

The proposal to promote the elections provoked the protest of the legislators of the opposition, mainly the party of force popular, of right, whose chief Keiko Fujimori He is in custody for investigating allegations of corruption.

As legislators linked to the government and a few independents, they supported the initiative. "It's a response to the distortion of the project's immunity," said Patricia Donayre.

After a meeting of representatives of several parties of the legislature, the president of the Congress declared that they would not pronounce definitively before receiving the proposal.

But "We announce that whatever the formula adopted by the executive, the Congress will act in the current constitutional framework in the respect of the principles of democracy and democracy.We do not keep our positions, but we will defend it. 39, institutional and legislative power "Olaechea said.

Peru has been the victim of a series of political scandals OdebrechtFormer President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was imprisoned at his home while they were investigating him, as well as opposition leader Fujimori, accused of money laundering.

Former president Ollanta Humala he is also awaiting trial for the undeclared electoral financing of the Brazilian enterprise in restricted freedom; and the exmandatario Alan Garcia He committed suicide in April while he was going to be arrested.

And former President Alejandro Toledo was under arrest in the United States for an extradition order.

MINING LAW

In his speech to the Congress, Vizcarra also announced that she was preparing a draft new general mining law, the main economic activity of the country, in search of a renewal of the legislation that has governed it for three decades.

Vizcarra did not give more details on the proposal.

Peru is the world's second largest producer of copper, silver and zinc and the sixth largest producer of gold.

The president also said the country's economy would grow 3.5 percent this year, less than the 4.2 percent projected in April, due to the slowdown in the global economy.