Resignation Of Peru's Vice President Araoz To Dissolved Parliament Invalid- Prime Minister

Resignation of Peru's Vice President Araoz to Dissolved Parliament Invalid- Prime Minister

Peruvian Vice President Mercedes Araoz, who recently announced her resignation amid a political standoff between the country's incumbent President Martin Vizcarra and the opposition-controlled Congress, continues to serve her mandate since she resigned to a parliament that had already been dismissed, newly appointed Prime Minister Vicente Zeballos said on Wednesday

BUENOS AIRES (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd October, 2019) Peruvian Vice President Mercedes Araoz, who recently announced her resignation amid a political standoff between the country's incumbent President Martin Vizcarra and the opposition-controlled Congress, continues to serve her mandate since she resigned to a parliament that had already been dismissed, newly appointed Prime Minister Vicente Zeballos said on Wednesday.

On Monday, Vizcarra dissolved the country's Congress by triggering a no-confidence motion over the lawmakers' alleged attempt to obtain control of the Constitutional Tribunal that would ensure their legal protection from corruption-related prosecution. The legislature, in turn, declared Vizcarra temporarily unfit for presidency and nominated Araoz as acting president. On Wednesday, Araoz, who swore in as interim president a day earlier, announced giving up the posts, both of Peru's vice president and acting president.

"From the constitutional point of view, she continues being vice president," Zeballos said and clarified that Araoz lodged her resignation to a parliament that had already been dismissed.

Vizcarra dissolved the country's opposition-dominated Congress after lawmakers boycotted his call to change the procedure in which judges are appointed to the Peruvian Constitutional Tribunal, the key institution to regulate disputes between the president and parliament. The standoff unfolded over the Congress' intent to elect several new judges to the Tribunal among allies of Keiko Fujimori, the presently-jailed Congress chair and daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, also accused of large-scale corruption.

Vizcarra interpreted the move as an attempt by Fujimori's party, the Popular Force, to secure for itself legal protection from investigation on suspected corruption offenses. He called for a motion of no-confidence and subsequently dismissed the Congress. The legislature, in turn, declared him temporarily unfit for presidency and nominated Vice President Mercedes Araoz as acting president decisions that Vizcarra claimed were taken after the dissolution and were therefore void.

Araoz's announcement of resignation came after the Peruvian military and police pledged loyalty to Vizcarra.