Lima, June 19 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The Peruvian congress is holding an emergency session to discuss President Ollanta Humala’s executive request to grant the government the ability to legislate by decree in the areas of economy and public security.

“This is in the interests of the economy and citizens' security,” Peruvian Minister of Economy and Finance, Alonso Segura stated.

The executive request follows a wave of strike action and social conflicts across Peru in recent months and losses of support inside the country’s congress. The Humala administration has also suffered a number of defeats in parliament including the recent approval of a bill to make some tax exemptions on workers’ bonuses permanent.

Despite the bill’s popularity among organized labor groups, President Humala vetoed the bill arguing that it would have negative effects for government finances.

During the plenary session on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Cateriano was expected to discuss the tax bill again in hopes to reverse the outcome of the initial vote. However, opposition leaders said they intend to back the tax exemption bill, despite the presidential veto.

Humala's Gana Peru coalition lacks a congressional majority, making it difficult for the government to pass government-led legislative proposals. Humala’s popularity plummeted 14 points in one month to just 14 percent, according to opinion polls published last week, largely due to ongoing social conflicts and widespread perceptions of citizen insecurity and sluggish economic growth.