Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso issued a decree to dissolve the National Assembly on Wednesday, signaling plans for early legislative and presidential elections. Elements of the police and military, dressed in riot gear, secured the National Assembly building in the capital, Quito, preventing anyone from entering.
Opposition politicians have been seeking to accuse Lasso of negligence amid claims that he ignored warnings related to financial irregularities in a contract with the state-owned oil transport company Flotech, which the president has denied.
Lasso argues that the impeachment proceedings against him, the first against an Ecuadorian president in decades, are politically motivated and pose a serious threat to democracy. He defended the dissolution of the Assembly, stating it is "necessary."
In a video broadcast, Lasso described the decision as "democratic," not just because it is constitutional, but because it returns power to the Ecuadorian people to determine their future in the upcoming elections.
According to the constitution, Lasso will remain in his position and govern by decree for now. The Electoral Court of Ecuador has until May 24 to call for new elections, which must be held within 90 days.
The president of the court, Diana Atalmint, confirmed to reporters that Lasso has the right to run in the elections. Those elected in the early elections will serve until the scheduled regular elections in 2025.
