Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso disbanded the National Assembly, or the legislature, which is controlled by the opposition, by decree, amid an impeachment process.
According to Xinhua, Lasso made the declaration on Wednesday, using a constitutional process referred to as “muerte cruzada”, which permits the President to break down the National Assembly and summon general elections, followed by six months of governance by decree.
The process was implemented in 2008 and was not utilized previously in Ecuador. It is viewed as an excessive action, and opposing groups are expected to protest.
Lasso, on the other hand, claimed it was required “due to a severe political crisis and interior commotion.” The opposition-controlled National Assembly, according to the President, is impeding progress.
Military officers were also stationed within and outside of the National Assembly premises in Quito on Wednesday, as metal barricades were erected. According to the legislature’s communications staff, legislators who were within the building were evacuated, while others were barred from entering.
Juan Zapata, the interior minister, appeared at the location to verify that the decree was followed and to reinforce security in the event of violence.
Meanwhile, the Ecuadorian CIN criticized the choice to dissolve the National Assembly and called an “extraordinary council” to assess the situation and determine the next moves. The National Assembly’s impeachment procedures against Lasso began on Tuesday.
The opposition accuses the 67-year-old former banker of stealing funds via a contract inked between the government-owned oil tanker fleets Flota Petrolera Ecuatoriana as well as the privately-held company Amazonas Tanker for the renting of boats to ship hydrocarbons.
Before taking office in May 2021, he signed a contract in 2018 that was renewed in 2020. His opponents, however, alleged he let the business relationship keep going despite knowing it would result in state losses.
In his defense, Lasso accused the opposition of creating the “absurd accusation” to cause instability. This is the sole occasion in Ecuador’s 44-year history when a President is facing impeachment by the legislature.
The impeachment vote might take place as soon as May 20. Impeachment requires the approval of two-thirds of the Assembly’s 137 members or 92 legislators.
The trial has engulfed the country, which experienced political turbulence during August 1996 as well as in January 2007, whilst Ecuador was controlled by seven presidents, three of whom were deposed.
He was accused of casting a blind eye toward suspected misappropriation. He faced an impending vote that may have resulted in his removal from office.
Conservative Mr. Lasso claimed that the allegations were politically motivated. He is given a maximum of six months to rule by decree, without the involvement of MPs, before holding new general elections.
The opposition-controlled National Assembly, according to the conservative president, is impeding progress. Opposition parties, meanwhile, said that the president was harming democracy by employing the “muerte cruzada.”
Conaie, Ecuador’s powerful confederation of indigenous organizations, has termed the move “dictatorial” and organized a meeting on Wednesday.
Conaie-organized mass rallies, including highway blockades, have already immobilized portions of the country. The rival Social Christian Party additionally questioned the constitutionality of the National Assembly’s dissolution.
Its leader stated that he would petition Ecuador’s supreme court to overturn Mr. Lasso’s ruling. Ecuador’s military and police, though, have backed the president, calling the measure constitutional.
The nation “won’t accept any effort to undermine the legal framework through violence,” Nelson Proao, the leader of the military, warned anyone organizing violent protests. He argued that his accusers, all members of opposition parties, lacked evidence in the presence of the legislature.
The president went on to say that the alleged misappropriation occurred before he took office. A final impeachment vote was anticipated in the coming days.
“This is a democratic choice not just because it’s constitutional, but also because it allows you to make choices on your future,” Lasso remarked.
According to analysts, the fact that 88 parliamentarians had voted in to support the impeachment trial proceeding meant that the leader was in danger of being removed.
Instead of continuing to wait for the vote, which appeared to be going against him, the leader of the nation adopted “the nuclear choice” of dissolving parliament.
After issuing the decree, he argued that the measure will empower Ecuadoreans by pushing elections onward: “It constitutes a democratic choice not only since it is constitutional, but because it restores to the Ecuadorian citizens the possibility of making decisions.”
Because the clause can only be activated before the final vote, Mr. Lasso will be monitoring for signs of support or disagreement among MPs as the trial progresses. The impeachment trial takes place during a chaotic period in Ecuador.
Safety is at an all-time low as a crime wave pushed by gangs allied with Mexican cartels surges across some of the country’s major cities.
Lasso called the claims “unfounded” and blamed his opponents for fabricating a “fictitious situation” in the National Assembly.
“Even the people who suggested this trial know that they have nothing at all,” he stated, adding that his attackers were “trying to sabotage the credibility of democracy itself, not of this presidency.”
It is the second attempt to remove the president from power since he was inaugurated in May 2021. Last year, impeachment procedures did not receive enough votes to advance to the trial phase.
To avert coup rumors, it is common for South American armed services and police to issue a declaration of support for the present government in crisis. In recent months, the President’s political capital has dwindled.
On Sunday, opposition member Virgilio Saquicela retained his position as Assembly president with 96 votes. Lasso’s alliance controlled twenty-five seats in the legislature, an instance that could give opponents enough votes to approve the impeachment.
The use of muerte cruzada, according to Will Freeman, an individual at the CFR, “would cause instability. Lasso is too despised to gain anything from the perception that he’s overriding the balance of power to finally get things done,” he told CNN.
Following Lasso’s declaration, members of Ecuador’s National Police were spotted standing guard around the building which houses the country’s National Assembly. The police stated that they were guarding the buildings to ensure citizen safety as well as public order.
Nelson Proano reminded Ecuadoreans that Lasso’s decision was lawful and should be respected.
“Lasso is besieged by high-profile corruption cases, criminal probes, an impeachment procedure, a crumbling security scenario, and record-low approval ratings,” Guillaume Long, told CNN. “The dissolved state of Ecuador’s parliament is a risky decision by a weak and despised president.”
Rafael Correa, a left-wing political leader, said on Twitter that Lasso’s move was “illegal” but also a “great chance to get rid of Lasso, his government, and his hired assembly supporters, and recover the country.”
Lasso called the quick elections the “best choice to clear the way for hope.” He claimed that his choice was the only way to end political conflict in the country.
The situation ended up costing the country millions of dollars, according to him. In recent months, as the country has been plagued by a cost of living crisis and soaring rates of violent crime, calls for Lasso’s departure have gotten stronger.
According to Diana Atamaint, voting will take place over the next 90 days.
Proofread & Published By Naveenika Chauhan
