The Constitution Commission of Congress The debate on the prediction that seeks the return to the bicamerality began this Wednesday. The document proposes that Parliament be made up of 45 senators and 130 deputies, who may be re-elected in the same position for only one additional period.
The proposal, which will continue to be analyzed on Tuesday of next week, involves modifying 49 articles of the Constitution, and responds to bills presented by congressmen from Acción Popular, Avanza País, Perú Libre, Podemos, Alianza para el Progreso y Renovación Popular .
Watch the discussion here:
The prediction establishes that to be elected senator it will be necessary to be at least 35 years old and have at least five years of professional experience in the public or private sector, or to have held a popularly elected position.
Meanwhile, to be a deputy it will be required to be at least 25 years old.
In addition, the presidency of Congress will fall alternately on the presidents of each chamber.
According to the proposal, candidates for the presidency or vice-presidency of the Republic will not be able to apply for representation in Congress at the same time.
If the Constitution Commission approves the prediction, it will go to debate and vote in the plenary session of Congress.
As it is a constitutional reform, it must be approved in two successive ordinary legislatures with a favorable vote, in each case, greater than two thirds of the legal number of congressmen, which is 130. Another option is that it be approved by an absolute majority. and be ratified by referendum.
parliamentary proposals
The president of the Congress, María del Carmen Alva, supported last week a bill on the return to the bicameral system that proposes that the Parliament be made up of 130 deputies and 30 senators, and that re-election be allowed.
Meanwhile, Congressman Luis Aragón, from Popular Action, did the same and proposed that Parliament be made up of 100 deputies and 30 senators. But in addition, he proposed that in the event of a second presidential round, the election of deputies be held once more.
For his part, legislator Eduardo Salhuana, from the Alliance for Progress, suggested that Parliament be made up of 131 deputies and 50 senators. In addition, he proposed that the candidates that make up the presidential formula can simultaneously be candidates for Congress.
Legislator Wilson Soto, of Popular Action, proposed that the functions of Congress be carried out by 130 deputies and 30 senators, and that the Senate Chamber remain in office during the parliamentary recess.
Meanwhile, an initiative by Congresswoman Roselli Amuruz, of Avanza País, proposes that Parliament be made up of 130 deputies and 60 senators. In addition, that the president of the Chamber of Senators preside over the Permanent Commission and the plenary session of deputies and senators.
As can be seen, although congressmen from various parties are in favor of the double chamber, there are differences on the number of deputies and senators and on other details of the constitutional reform.
posture and background
The prediction shows that the Ombudsman’s Office ruled in favor of returning to the bicameral system last December. The ombudsman assured that the bicameral system favors deliberation in Parliament and contributes to legal certainty.
The existence of two chambers, in the opinion of the Ombudsman, would ensure spaces for greater reflection and consensus around the bills that are presented.
In 2018, during the government of Martín Vizcarra, the return to bicamerality and three other constitutional reforms were submitted to a referendum.
Initially, the majority of Peruvians was in favor of the return of the Senate, according to polls of the time; however, statements of Vizcarra Opposing the text approved by Congress, they reversed the attitude of public opinion.
The then president assured that Congress withdrew “the concept of parity” and included changes in the question of confidence in the opinion on the return to bicamerality.
In practice, the proposal deprived the head of state of the possibility of dissolving Congress under the terms established by the Constitution, breaking the balance of powers.
At the polls, 13.9 million Peruvians voted “no” and only 1.4 million for “yes.”
Of the 12 constitutions that have governed the history of Peru, only two postulated unicamerality (1867 and 1993), while nine opted for bicamerality and one (1826) for tricamerality.
In the Americas, the countries with a unicameral legislative structure are Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela, and Cuba. Meanwhile, there is a bicameral system in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and the United States.
