Peru's new President bows to public protests to call early elections, days after being appointed

Colombo (news 1st) - Peru's new President Dina Boluarte bowed to public pressure to call early elections, just days after she was appointed to office and declared that she would complete the present term that is scheduled to end in 2026, as parts of the country were engulfed in protests calling for polls and police shot dead two protesters, foreign media reported.

Mrs. Boluarte, who heads the largest party in Parliament, on Sunday said she would ask Parliament to bring elections forward to April 2024. She is the sixth president that Peru has had in just six years, and the first woman to hold the post. The normal term of a president is 5 years.

How Mrs. Boluarte handles the protests will be an acid test of her presidency. On Sunday she declared a state of emergency in areas where protests have been strongest.

She was appointed by Parliament last Wednesday (7th) after her predecessor Pedro Castillo was impeached after just 17 months in office through a joint effort by the ruling party and the main opposition party.

Mr. Castillo was arrested a few hours later for rebellion as he attempted to flee the country and sought refuge in Mexico. He had attempted to dissolve congress and ordered the military to move against the house, only to have the army declare that it would back the legislature after the country's Chief Justice and Attorney General declared the dissolution illegal. He has since been remanded by a court for a week while investigators build a case against him.

(Photos courtesy laSexta, Al Jazeera)