President of Ecuador affirms that Constitutional Court ratifies legality of “death cross”

Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso affirmed Thursday that the Constitutional Court has ratified the legality of his decision to dissolve the National Assembly (Congress) after rejecting claims of unconstitutionality filed by the opposition against the so-called “cross-death” decree.

“The Constitutional Court unanimously rejected, unanimously, the unconstitutionality claims on the dissolution of the @AsambleaEcuador,” Lasso posted on his account on the social network Twitter.

He noted that “as well as the Court, no judicial authority can pronounce on the verification and motivation of the cause of the political crisis and internal commotion invoked in Executive Decree 741.”

“This Court ratifies my decision attached to the Constitution of the Republic,” wrote the president.

The Court informed Thursday night through a communiqué that it unanimously rejected six claims of unconstitutionality filed against Decree 741 signed on Wednesday by the head of state.

This decree refers to the so-called “cross death”, a legal mechanism provided for in Article 148 of the Constitution that empowers the president to dissolve the Assembly, call for early general elections, and govern by decree for up to six months under the control of the Constitutional Court.

Lasso applied to such a figure invoking a serious political crisis and internal commotion in the country, a matter on which the Court said it has no competence to pronounce and no other judicial authority in the country.

The constitutional body also rejected the requests for the Court to adopt precautionary measures to suspend the effects of the challenged decree provisionally.

The lawsuits were raised on Wednesday mostly by former opposition assemblymen who were dismissed after applying the “death cross”.

Lasso chose to use this tool amid a political trial for alleged embezzlement that he was facing in the National Assembly and through which the opposition sought his dismissal.

Under the “death cross,” the ruler also asked the National Electoral Council (CNE) to call within seven days for new early presidential and legislative elections to be held within 90 days.

Those elected must complete the terms of office of Lasso and of the dismissed assembly members until completing their respective terms, which in both cases end in May 2025.

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