Guillermo Lasso is now forced to call new legislative and presidential elections, in which he risks losing power
The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, decreed on Wednesday (17/5) the dissolution of the National Assembly, with an opposition majority, and asked for new elections to be held.
That decision, known as the “cross-death,” comes amid impeachment proceedings brought against him on charges of embezzlement of public money, something Lasso has denied and described as a political ploy to overthrow him.
“Cross-death” is a constitutional mechanism that allows the head of state to dissolve the National Assembly if he believes this is undermining his ability to govern.
In doing so, however, he must also call new legislative and presidential elections, in which he risks losing power. Hence the term “cross-death”, as both the president and the National Assembly would lose their powers.
It is the first time that this procedure has been applied since its introduction in the Constitution in 2008, under the government of Rafael Correa.
What happens now?
Lasso will remain in office, governing by decree, while the electoral authorities fix the date of the elections.
Ecuador’s electoral court must decide the date of new elections within seven days of the dissolution of the National Assembly.
What is President Lasso accused of?
The president denies having knowledge of an alleged misappropriation of public funds by officials who allegedly fraudulently awarded several contracts to transport oil, Ecuador’s main resource.
Lasso claims that these contracts were signed during the previous government of LenÃn Moreno (2017-2021) and that his government asked the Comptroller of Accounts (Tribunal de Contas) to review them.
The president showed the Supervisory Commission report – rejected by parliament – which recommends discarding the impeachment due to lack of evidence and said that this trial is a malicious political maneuver to overthrow him.
Lasso faced possible impeachment if the opposition-dominated Parliament won a sufficient majority of more than two-thirds of the House, or at least 92 of the 137 total members of the assembly.
Source: Terra
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