Constitutional attorney Ismael Quintana explained that the president can only address economic and administrative matters, and the Constitutional Court will have to approve his decisions. Lasso’s governing powers are now limited. This is an opportunity for us to get out of this crisis," she said. He defended himself before Congress on Tuesday, insisting there was no proof or testimony of wrongdoing.ĭismissed Assemblywoman Paola Cabezas told the Ecuavisa television network that her party, which was a main force behind the impeachment process, “will abide by the decree." Lasso, a former banker, was elected in 2021 and clashed from the start with a strong opposition in the 137-member National Assembly. Those elected will finish the terms of Lasso and the lawmakers he ousted, which had been set to end in May 2025. The National Electoral Council now has seven days to call presidential and legislative elections, which must be held within 90 days. Lawmakers quickly voted him out of power and law enforcement arrested him, which resulted in months of deadly protests carried out for the most part by Indigenous peoples and peasants. Then-President Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Congress and head off his own impeachment in December. In neighboring Peru, conflicts between the opposition-led legislature and president also led to attempts to oust each other last year. If violence erupts, the armed forces and police “will act firmly,” he said. Nelson Proaño, called on Ecuadorians to maintain respect for the law and warned against rupturing the constitutional order through violence. The Social Christian Party, which supported impeachment proceedings, filed a petition Wednesday arguing that there are no grounds for the dissolution of the Assembly.Īfter Lasso announced his decision, the head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, Gen. His move can be appealed to the Constitutional Court, which has traditionally taken a long time to resolve any petition it receives. something he has rejected as untrue.Ĭalled the “crossed death” because it cuts short the mandate of both the assembly and the president, the option to disband the congress and temporarily rule by decree was established in Ecuador's constitution in 2008 as a means of avoiding protracted periods of political paralysis. He also said that the state-owned company experienced losses of $6 million a year before he took office, and that it has seen $180 million in profits under his watch. They argued Lasso knew the contract was full of irregularities and would cost the state millions in losses.ĭuring a legislative session Tuesday, Lasso noted that the contract predated his administration. Lawmakers had accused Lasso of not having intervened to end a contract between the state-owned oil transport company and a private tanker company. Lasso can now govern for up to six months by decree under the oversight of Ecuador’s Constitutional Court. Lasso “launched a cowardly self-coup with the help of the police and the armed forces, without citizen support,” Leonidas Iza Salazar said. Protests by the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities have nearly paralyzed the country in recent years, and the group's leader appeared outraged. The president appeared to have the support of the armed forces but faced opposition from Indigenous Ecuadorians. Lasso's Wednesday decision prompted Ecuador’s top military leader to warn that the armed forces would crack down on any violence. She anticipated that Ecuadorians would go to the polls to elect a new president and a new Assembly in no more than 90 days. Hours later, the president of the National Electoral Council, Diana Atamaint, said that its office will set the date for the next elections in no more than seven days.
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