[Politics] Make a "truce" with Congress and reconnect with the citizenry: The challenges facing the new President of Peru

[FNX Magokiler]

The political crisis in Peru reached its breaking point, after Pedro Castillo perpetrated a self-coup, by making the decision to unconstitutionally "dissolve" Congress. This power met in an emergency and dismissed the President, due to permanent moral incapacity. With this, Dina Boluarte, who until then was the vice president, assumed the Presidency of the Republic, becoming the first woman to hold that position in Peru.

Boluarte – who had previously served as Minister of Development and Social Inclusion, and in recent weeks had distanced herself from her predecessor – must now provide a route towards political, social and economic stability in that country. In this regard, the political analyst Enrique Castillo affirms that after Castillo's dismissal "the conditions are in place" for there to be "a truce" between Congress and the new Executive. In conversation with "El Comercio", the analyst points out that, in a first gesture, the new President "must have the greatness to convene a broad-based ministerial cabinet, a technical and political cabinet that can establish a truce (with Parliament ) and a political dialogue that leads to reforms that allow new general elections to be called", since "it will be very difficult for the people to believe in this Congress with the mere fall of Castillo". He adds that these political and electoral reforms have to aim to prevent people "with some kind of past linked to corruption or other crimes" from running. "We cannot accept that senderistas, even though they have paid their sentences, can access public office, nor can characters related to subversion and sedition," he stresses. A transitional government Political scientist Kathy Zegarra recalls that presidents who did not have the support of a pro-government caucus in Congress did not complete their term. In this sense, she says that although Boluarte came to the Government Palace under the symbol of Peru Libre, she does not have her support and "it would have great difficulties to continue in power until 2026." "Under the situation we find ourselves in, of a political crisis and with a highly disapproved Parliament, it is better that she calls for new elections along with reforms," she says.

 

 

 

He also says that one of the challenges for the new president will be to reach a consensus with the Legislature to make it possible to advance general elections, even more so when there is a sector of the opposition that does not contemplate this scenario. In addition, she maintains that "it is essential" that the political class "self-regulate and prioritize" democracy beyond their interests. "It is important that Boluarte generate a broad-based ministerial cabinet, with people who are not questioned, that was one of the main criticisms of the Castillo government. And on the side of Congress it is key that they stop being used permanently and as irresponsible measures of extreme political control, those measures that mean the breakdown of the balance of powers", he remarks. The expert explains that the "truce" between Congress and the Boluarte government should be understood as a time when Parliament can oversee and, at the same time, cooperate. "The powers control each other, but they also cooperate, it is important to have a minimum truce, prior to a call for general elections," she comments. Recovering the connection with the citizenry Political scientist José Luis Incio warns that "it is unlikely" that Boluarte will be able to sustain his government until 2026, mainly because he does not have the support of a majority bench in Parliament. "Boluarte has incentives to try to stay, but the context is not in her favor, the best thing she can do is to try to call new general elections in order to renew Congress and the Executive. And in that time generate a coalition in the Legislative Branch that gives it life", he maintains.

 

https://www.emol.com/noticias/Internacional/2022/12/08/1080531/los-retos-de-dina-boluarte.html