(Eagle News) — Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday, July 16, reiterated his proposal the elections in 2019 be postponed to supposedly ensure a smooth transition to the federal type of government.
According to Alvarez, this could be done either through the passage of a law or a constitutional amendment via a people’s initiative done by supporters of federalism.
The Constitution has a provision that requires that polls be held every three years.
“That can be done. We have already studied that alternative,” he said.
Alvarez said with the postponement, Congress could work on the draft of the proposed federal charter.
He said after an information drive of six months, the draft could be showed to the public for ratification.
He said with this, the first polls under the new form of government could take place by 2022.
“I assumed that our President would not want to intervene on this matter. But that [federalism] is his advocacy and I believe in that too,” he said.
