During a plenary session,
on Tuesday approved the substitute text —presented by Constitution and Regulations Commission Chairman Hernando Guerra Garcia— which proposes bringing the general elections forward to April 2024.
Following a two-hour debate, the initiative obtained 93 votes in favor, 30 against, and one abstention.
The constitutional reform bill establishes that the
President of the Republic,
currently in office, shall call for general elections, which will take place in April 2024. Her term in office will conclude on July 28, 2024.
Likewise, it indicated that Congress members and representatives at the Andean Parliament elected in the 2021 general elections will complete their representation on July 26, 2024.
Parliament Chairman Jose Williams specified that the reform text approved today will be the subject of debate and a second voting session in the next ordinary legislature due to the number of votes in favor registered.
According to Congress' regulations, constitutional reform laws are approved with the favorable vote of at least half plus one (66) of the legal number of lawmakers (130) to be later submitted to referendum.
Otherwise, it will be approved at two successive annual sessions with the approving vote from a number higher than two thirds (87) of the legal number of legislators (130).
Congressman Guerra Garcia pointed out that the substitute text includes the
bill for bringing the elections forward, which was submitted by the Executive Branch, as well as four other legislative initiatives.