LIMA, Sept 19, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Peru’s President Martin Vizcarra survived
an impeachment vote in Congress on Friday as his opponents failed to win the
votes necessary to remove him from power.
Congress had voted last week to open impeachment proceedings against the
57-year-old president for “moral incapacity” over accusations he incited
aides to lie to anti-graft investigators.
After a 10-hour debate, only 32 legislators voted for his dismissal, while
78 voted against and 15 abstained.
The opposition needed 87 votes of 130 to dismiss the popular leader.
“Peru’s great challenges require us to act sensibly and responsibly,”
Vizcarra tweeted after the vote. “Let us all continue working together for
what really matters to Peruvians.”
During a statement at the start of the Congressional debate, he had
remained defiant.
“I’m not running. I didn’t do it before and I’m not going to do it now,” he
said before leaving his defense to his lawyer Roberto Pereira.
The heated session was opened by Marino, who would have replaced Vizcarra
as Peru’s leader had the impeachment carried.
He began by calling on members present in the chamber to avoid any
intolerant gestures towards the head of state, although most of the 130
lawmakers joined the debate by video link due to the coronavirus pandemic,
which has taken a heavy toll in the South American country.
Vizcarra had accused Marino of “conspiracy” by trying to secure military
assurances for a bid to succeed him.
– Public support –
Vizcarra’s cabinet petitioned the Constitutional Court this week on the
grounds the legislature had exceeded its powers and was not competent in
seeking to rule on the president’s moral capacity.
But the Court ruled by five votes to two to allow the vote.
Vizcarra, in power since 2018, came under fire after audio recordings were
leaked, in which he is heard telling aides to hide details from congressional
investigators of his office’s controversial hiring of a popular singer as a
paid cultural advisor.
Public support for the president and his anti-corruption campaign has been
evident in opinion polls, with eight out of 10 Peruvians wanting him to
continue until the end of his mandate in July 2021.
Peruvians also made their support clear on social networks and in pot-
banging street protests.
The president’s main rival, Keiko Fujimori, has publicly acknowledged that
“there are not enough elements” to remove him from power.
– ‘No one wins’ –
“The speed at which this process has been played out reflects a crisis in
the institutions,” said political analyst Augusto Alvarez Rodrich.
“No one wins here, the executive loses as does Congress, because people see
there are two branches of government locked in a political battle while a
pandemic is killing Peruvians and creating a shocking level of unemployment
that will take five years to recover from.”
Pressure on Vizcarra had appeared to ease already on Tuesday when his star
economy minister, Maria Antonieta Alva, survived a censure motion in
Congress.
He had begun the week pushing back against his opponents, going on
television to insist he was the victim of a conspiracy after an anti-
corruption crusade that has put him and his minority government at
loggerheads with Congress.
Vizcarra’s four predecessors have all been investigated for corruption.