The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, threatened with impeachment, decreed on Wednesday the dissolution of Congress, which implies the holding of early elections. This legal procedure is called "cross-death." What does it consist of?
Cross-death is a constitutional mechanism by which the president can trigger the dissolution of the National Assembly.
This constitutional attribution does not require the approval of another state agency and bears the name of cross death because the president when closing Congress must call elections and thus end his presidency. The two sides, in short, lose their mandate.
This is the first time that a president applies the so-called "cross death", which can be exercised only once during the first three years of the mandate.
When it can be used
The decision is based on Article 148 of the constitution, which gives the president the power to dissolve the legislature only once, for three reasons: when the Assembly has arrogated to itself functions that do not correspond to it, for obstruction of the national development plan or for serious political crisis and internal commotion.
Legal analyst Ramiro Aguilar told the AP that "this is a fully constitutional mechanism" and that the measure helps unblock the dispute between the government and the Assembly.
The unpopular right-wing leader is accused by the legislative opposition of alleged corruption in oil transport contracts. And he faced this week the final stage of an impeachment trial, which would culminate in a vote this weekend, with enough votes to remove him.
Lasso went to the meeting on Tuesday and said there is no evidence against him.
What's next?
In a country mired in drug-related violence and popular discontent over the cost of living, Lasso must call elections.
In fact, he has already asked the National Electoral Council (CNE) to call early general elections.
The Constitution provides that within a maximum period of seven days after the publication of the decree of dissolution in the Official Register, the electoral body shall call legislative and presidential elections to complete the current four-year term.
"It is a democratic decision not only because it is constitutional, but because it gives back to the Ecuadorian people the possibility of deciding," Lasso said on national television.
Until the installation of the new National Assembly, Lasso will be able to govern by issuing decree-laws of economic urgency, but after a favorable opinion of the Constitutional Court.
This is the first time that a president applies the "cross death", which can be exercised only once during the first three years of the mandate.
Last June, parliament had tried to remove Lasso amid violent indigenous protests against the high cost of living, but fell 12 votes short of removing him from power.
AFP and AP
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