Andina

Peru: Gov't submits bill for popular consultation on new Constitution

Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic

Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic

14:35 | Lima, Abr. 25.

The Executive Branch on Monday presented to Congress a constitutional reform bill aimed at putting a referendum on the ballot asking voters whether they wish to convene a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution for Peru.

The legislative initiative was submitted to Parliament as a matter of urgency together with an official letter signed by the President of the Republic Pedro Castillo and Prime Minister Anibal Torres.

The letter states that Congress will debate and approve such proposal, which would be presented to citizens through the referendum during the upcoming regional and municipal elections on October 2.

As stated in the document, the referendum process will be autonomous and will be separated from the aforementioned electoral process. Moreover, it will not modify the regulations governing the regional and municipal elections.

The referendum vote will be recorded on a separate ballot paper containing the following question: Do you approve the convening of a Constituent Assembly to draft a new Political Constitution?

The popular consultation will ask voters to decide, by answering "yes" or "no."

Last weekend, President Castillo announced that he would submit a bill to Congress to carry out a popular consultation so that citizens can express their opinion on the change of the Political Constitution of Peru.

"Following the constitutional course, we are going to send a bill so that in the next regional and municipal elections the people are consulted, through a ballot, whether they agree or not with a new Constitution," he said at that time during the Decentralized Council of Ministers held in Cusco.

(END) VVS/CVC/RMB

Published: 4/25/2022