The Parliament of Peru does not admit defeat. He ruled on Monday, November 2, that Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra should face a new impeachment trial for “Moral incapacity” and appear for this purpose on November 9.
The approval of this new procedure, for alleged acts of corruption which allegedly took place in 2014, was announced by the first vice-president of the unicameral Parliament, Luis Valdez. “The motion to declare the vacancy of the Chair has been carried”, said Mr. Valdez. Of the 130 deputies in Parliament, 60 voted for the motion, 40 voted against and 18 abstained. Twelve deputies were absent or excused.
The new motion was presented on October 20 by the Union for Peru (UPP) party. This party was based on the testimonies of several businessmen, who declared before the public prosecutor to have paid in 2014 bribes to Mr. Vizcarra in exchange for contracts for public works while he was governor of the Moquegua region, located south of Lima.
A new “somewhat anecdotal” motion
Mr. Vizcarra escaped a first impeachment motion in Parliament on September 18. He was then accused of having incited witnesses to lie in the context of an investigation into suspicion of corruption.
“There is not a single proof of the allegations”, the Peruvian president told reporters on Monday. “I am sure that Parliament will not fall into the game of a political group which seeks to create chaos”, he said. Mr. Vizcarra ruled “A little anecdotal” adoption of the new motion. “They get used to doing one impeachment procedure per month. It is not the Parliament as a whole, but a political group ”, he added.
Approval of the motion on Monday only required a simple majority. But for the subsequent phase, the dismissal of the president, a two-thirds majority is required, ie 87 votes.
Mr Vizcarra is due to appear in person or send his lawyer next Monday, November 9, to present his defense to Parliament.
Corruption is an endemic evil in the political world in Peru, where four presidents have been spattered by the vast scandal of corruption and illegal funding of election campaigns linked to Brazilian construction and public works giant Odebrecht.
