Peru’s President Claims He Is ´Falsely Accused´ – Impeachment

RIO DE JANEIRO, BAZIL – Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra on Monday, November 9th, affirmed that he is attending the Congress plenary session, at which the second motion for a presidential vacancy will be debated, to clarify the facts that he is “falsely accused of.”

When exercising his right to defense at Parliament headquarters during an impeachment motion session, and joined by his lawyer Fernando Ugaz, the Head of State requested lawmakers to focus on Peruvian citizens and their priorities.

The presidentl said that —52 days ago after the first impeachment motion was dismissed— a group of legislators insisted on a second request of the same nature, linked to him and his past tenure as Governor of Moquegua region.

“I tell them: don’t worry about me, I’m here to clarify the facts that I am falsely accused of. Let’s focus on Peruvians and their priorities,” he expressed.

The president said that if there is something to respond, it will be done in the corresponding jurisdictions.

Likewise, the President recalled having unsuccessfully asked Congress members to advance the date of his presentation precisely to avoid greater uncertainty. However, the Peruvian leader noted that he had arrived at Congress with the courage with which he had taken office in March 2018.

“(I am here) to continue facing what I have to face. I stand before you out of respect for the Constitution, institutionalism and the Peruvian people,” he added.

Mr. Vizcarra asserted that his administration has worked hard and made the best efforts to improve health services, during the nearly eight months of the worst health crisis in the country’s history due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On November 2nd, Parliament approved debating the second impeachment motion against the Head of State, which was submitted by Union Por el Peru (UPP) party and other legislators.

The lawmakers alleged a “permanent moral incapacity” of the President of the Republic, as established in Article 113 of the Constitution.

According to the regulations of Congress, the presidential impeachment motion requires at least 87 votes to be approved.

A majority of parliamentarians have ready dismissed a previous impeachment motion against President Vizcarra last September.

Source: Andina