Pedro Castillo accepts the resignation of his ‘premier’ and announces a complete renewal of his cabinet
The Prime Minister of Peru, Aníbal Torres, has presented his resignation to the Peruvian President Pedro Castillo after Congress has refused to modify the law that limits the calls for referendums in the country, as reported by the RPP radio station.
Torres has opted for his resignation after Parliament has denied the confidence motion that he presented last week and with which he intended to repeal Law 31399, a regulation that since the beginning of 2022 has hindered the calling of a popular vote.
Said measure, promulgated by the opposition in Congress, took away the power of the National Elections Board (JNE) to submit transcendental issues for the citizens of Peru to a referendum, forcing the body to previously evaluate and approve the voting proposal in The congress.
The head of government hoped to return to the JNE the authority to call a referendum without going through the approval of Parliament, something that the congressional table has rejected outright this Thursday.
“The Board of Directors has agreed by a majority to fully reject the question of confidence raised by the president of the Council of Ministers as it is prohibited to raise a question of confidence, as established by the Constitutional Court”, the president asserted. of Congress, José Williams in statements collected by RPP.
The head of the Peruvian Parliament has justified the decision by assuring that what was proposed by the country’s prime minister, Aníbal Torres, exceeds the constitutional and legal framework because it bypasses Congress, which would represent “a serious alteration” to the State and the separation of powers.
Based on this same government proposal, the opposition has filed a constitutional complaint against President Pedro Castillo, the Prime Minister and the ministers of the entire Executive Branch, alleging that they have infringed various articles of the Constitution.
PEDRO CASTILLO ACCEPTS THE RESIGNATION OF TORRES
The president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, gave a televised message to the country’s population late Thursday night in which he accepted the resignation of his prime minister, Aníbal Torres, until now.
Likewise, it has announced that after the express rejection of the vote of confidence by Congress, as well as the resignation of Torres, it will completely renew its Council of Ministers, as reported by ‘La República’.
“After this express refusal of confidence, with the expression of ‘full rejection’, and having accepted the resignation of the ‘premier’, whom I thank for his concern and work for the country, I will renew the Cabinet”, he stressed. Castillo in a five-minute speech.
Likewise, the president has called on Congress to respect the constitutional rule of law, democracy and the balance of powers.
“Reconsider, congressmen, because the great desires and interests of the citizenry cannot be truncated by excessive interests of some elites or minorities,” he asserted.
Castillo has defended the question of trust raised by Torres who sought to repeal Law 31399, stating that it prevented the right of all citizens to participate directly in politics and without intermediaries.
In this sense, he recalled that laws such as the non-reelection of congressmen or the return of funds from the National Housing Fund “would not be a reality today if the people had not decided in a referendum.”
“This law has arbitrarily taken away our right to exercise it again. We as a government wanted to return it to all Peruvians,” he reiterated, accusing “certain political groups” of having rejected the repeal proposal.
With just over nine months in office, Aníbal Torres has been the longest-serving prime minister of the Peruvian Executive since Pedro Castillo was sworn in as president of Peru on July 28, 2021. In addition, Torres has been the fourth head of government during the Castillo’s mandate.
