President Lasso of Ecuador decides that parliament will lift the visa requirement for Kosovars

Amid impeachment proceedings against Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso for alleged embezzlement, the head of state has dissolved parliament.

The electoral office must set a date for the election within seven days, according to a statement released by the presidential office on Wednesday. The conservative president can now rule by decree for up to six months.

The figure of the so-called “muerte cruzada” (roughly: mutual destruction), which allows the president to dissolve the National Assembly under certain conditions, has been enshrined in the constitution of the South American country since 2008. However, it has never been used until now.

“It is impossible to solve the challenges with a parliament that aims to destabilize the country,” Lasso said in a televised address. “I have to respond to the political crisis. Ecuador needs a new political and social pact that will allow us to overcome the crisis, which unfortunately is getting worse by the day.”

Parliament had recently initiated impeachment proceedings against Lasso. On Tuesday, the head of state rejected allegations of embezzlement leveled against him in the National Assembly. Lasso is accused of knowing about unfavorable contracts between state-owned oil transportation company Flota Petrolera Ecuatoriana and private shipping company Amazonas Tankers, but failing to terminate them after taking office. This would have cost the Ecuadorian state several million dollars.

Ecuador is in a serious political crisis. Only 17 percent of citizens support Lasso’s administration and only 20 percent rate the work of parliament as good. The once peaceful South American country is also currently suffering from a wave of violence. The homicide rate of 25 murders per 100,000 people last year was the highest in the country’s history, even surpassing that of Mexico and Brazil. The government blames drug dealers for the violence.

“We are more united than ever,” Lasso wrote with a photo with his close associates on Twitter after his speech. “We all continue to work to ensure that Ecuador regains its calm. The country does not stand still. Public services are operating normally. The armed forces and the National Police continue their daily work to fight crime and terrorism. The private sector has every guarantee to develop its activities and continue to contribute to the growth and development of the country.” (sda/dpa)