Peru’s President Hangs On to Power, but at What Cost?
- 6 years ago
Peru’s President Hangs On to Power, but at What Cost?
Cesar Landa, law professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
and a former president and magistrate of the country’s Constitutional court, said the Popular Force party had "attempted an untraditional coup d’état." This year, the Popular Force party — whose political philosophy is often referred to as Fujimorismo — forced Mr. Kuczynski to fire his entire cabinet by refusing to endorse his nominees.
On Friday, Mr. Fujimori said he voted against the president’s removal to "avoid a period of turbulence." He added, "I do not hide my legitimate expectation, as a son, to see my father recover his freedom one day,
but my decision has been made thinking of what is best for my country." Mr. Becerril, the Popular Force lawmaker who voted for impeachment, said he saw no problem with elder Mr. Fujimori asking for a pardon but not if it left Mr. Kuczynski in office.
Hector Becerril, a Popular Force member who voted for impeachment, said Mr. Fujimori urged members of
his party, by phone, to cast votes of abstention and not vote in favor of the president’s removal.
The party that had initially introduced the motion to impeach Mr. Kuczynski last week, the left-wing Broad Front, said
that splitting the Popular Force was the objective when the party took the action.
Some legislators speculated that Mr. Kuczynski made a deal with the Popular Force to pardon Mr.
Fujimori in exchange for keeping him in office, a claim that the president’s party has denied.
With a Congress dominated by the opposition Popular Force, a right-wing party whose leader ran against
Mr. Kuczynski in the last election, many had expected the vote to result in his removal.
Cesar Landa, law professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
and a former president and magistrate of the country’s Constitutional court, said the Popular Force party had "attempted an untraditional coup d’état." This year, the Popular Force party — whose political philosophy is often referred to as Fujimorismo — forced Mr. Kuczynski to fire his entire cabinet by refusing to endorse his nominees.
On Friday, Mr. Fujimori said he voted against the president’s removal to "avoid a period of turbulence." He added, "I do not hide my legitimate expectation, as a son, to see my father recover his freedom one day,
but my decision has been made thinking of what is best for my country." Mr. Becerril, the Popular Force lawmaker who voted for impeachment, said he saw no problem with elder Mr. Fujimori asking for a pardon but not if it left Mr. Kuczynski in office.
Hector Becerril, a Popular Force member who voted for impeachment, said Mr. Fujimori urged members of
his party, by phone, to cast votes of abstention and not vote in favor of the president’s removal.
The party that had initially introduced the motion to impeach Mr. Kuczynski last week, the left-wing Broad Front, said
that splitting the Popular Force was the objective when the party took the action.
Some legislators speculated that Mr. Kuczynski made a deal with the Popular Force to pardon Mr.
Fujimori in exchange for keeping him in office, a claim that the president’s party has denied.
With a Congress dominated by the opposition Popular Force, a right-wing party whose leader ran against
Mr. Kuczynski in the last election, many had expected the vote to result in his removal.