(Adds congressional vote result)
By Alexander Villegas
LIMA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Dina Boluarte
has put forward a new bill to bring elections forward to 2023 in
a bid to calm protests around the country as a fractured
Congress has repeatedly failed to come to an agreement after
weeks of political infighting.
The bill, seen by Reuters, proposes holding congressional
and presidential elections in October this year with elected
officials taking power in late December. Elected officials would
serve a five year term until July 2028.
The Andean country is in the grip of some eight weeks of
anti-government protests with 48 people killed in clashes
between demonstrators and security forces, mostly in Peru's
copper-rich south. Fast new elections has been a key demand of
protesters after former left-wing President Pedro Castillo was
ousted in December.
The new bill comes after a series of early elections
proposals have failed in Congress, including one on Wednesday
after days of closed door negotiations failed to yield a
consensus, with fragmented political parties unable to agree on
how to move forward despite widespread public support for a snap
vote.
Some right-wing members are opposed to having their terms
cut short, while left-wing factions have said they will not
support a bill unless it also includes a non-binding referendum
for a new constitution.
Boluarte, Castillo's former deputy who took over after he
tried to illegally dissolve Congress, announced plans for bills
for snap elections and a constitutional rewrite over the weekend
after violent protests in the capital that left one dead.
Peru Libre, Castillo's party, submitted a bill for early
elections and a non-binding referendum for a new constitution
that was voted down Thursday night.
Prime Minister Alberto Otarola is scheduled to present the
executive branch's bill to a congressional commission on Friday
afternoon.
Protesters around Peru have blocked highways with trees,
boulders and tires, taken over regional airports and burned
buildings, impacting goods transport, business and the operation
of some key mines in the world's No. 2 copper producer.
(Reporting by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
