Guillermo Lasso: Ecuador's President dissolves parliament
Posted: Tue May 23, 2023 1:59 am
Guillermo Lasso: Ecuador's President dissolves parliament
Read more here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-65624035
Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso has dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament amid an impeachment trial.
He had been accused of turning a blind eye to alleged embezzlement and was facing an imminent vote that could have ousted him from office.
Mr Lasso, a conservative, said the charges were politically motivated.
He will now have up to six months to govern by decree - without the input from lawmakers - before fresh general elections are held.
The constitutional clause Mr Lasso invoked in order to disband the National Assembly and order early elections to be held is known as "muerte cruzada" (mutual death).
It was introduced in 2008 and has never been used in Ecuador before. It is seen as an extreme measure and is expected to trigger protests from opposition groups.
Mr Lasso argued it was necessary "due to a grave political crisis and internal commotion".
The conservative president accused the opposition-controlled National Assembly of obstructing reform.
He said it was impossible to "solve the problems of Ecuadorean families... when there is a National Assembly whose political mission it is to destabilise democracy".
But opposition groups said it was the president who was undermining democracy by invoking the "muerte cruzada".
Read more here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-65624035
Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso has dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament amid an impeachment trial.
He had been accused of turning a blind eye to alleged embezzlement and was facing an imminent vote that could have ousted him from office.
Mr Lasso, a conservative, said the charges were politically motivated.
He will now have up to six months to govern by decree - without the input from lawmakers - before fresh general elections are held.
The constitutional clause Mr Lasso invoked in order to disband the National Assembly and order early elections to be held is known as "muerte cruzada" (mutual death).
It was introduced in 2008 and has never been used in Ecuador before. It is seen as an extreme measure and is expected to trigger protests from opposition groups.
Mr Lasso argued it was necessary "due to a grave political crisis and internal commotion".
The conservative president accused the opposition-controlled National Assembly of obstructing reform.
He said it was impossible to "solve the problems of Ecuadorean families... when there is a National Assembly whose political mission it is to destabilise democracy".
But opposition groups said it was the president who was undermining democracy by invoking the "muerte cruzada".