John Adoyi, PBA Journalism Mentee
Ecuadorian President, Guillermo Lasso, on Wednesday issued a decree dissolving the country’s parliament as he faces impeachment for the second time in less than a year.
Lasso was accused of aiding corruption and embezzlement of public funds in the country. He denied all accusations saying that the embezzlement took place before he became president in 2021.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe move by President Lasso comes a day after the opposition controlled parliament started impeachment proceedings.
Lasso invoked a 2008 clause in the country’s constitution called “muerte cruzada” (mutual death) which gave him the legal power to disband the National Assembly.
The decree released by his office states that Lasso is “dissolving the National Assembly due to a grave political crisis and national commotion.”
“I have signed Executive Decree 741, with the objective of dissolving the National Assembly and requesting the electoral council to call elections,” Lasso said in a tweet.
He also said that “This is a democratic decision not only because it’s constitutional, but also it allows you to decide on your future.”
Guillermo Lasso now has the power to make laws without the parliament until elections are held within the next six months.
But President Lasso has been battling to remain popular in the South American country whose 18 million population is bedeviled with rising cost of living and high rate of violent crimes.
