The Peruvian legislature has elected José María Balcázar as its new president, who also assumes the position of head of state under the constitution. The 83-year-old former judge will replace the current interim president José Jerí, who was dismissed by the parliament due to suspicions of corruption.
On Wednesday, the Peruvian Parliament elected Deputy José María Balcázar as its Speaker, who will automatically take over the remainder of the presidential mandate. This happened after the parliament on Tuesday dismissed the interim president José Jerí, who is being investigated for corruption. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
- The Parliament of Peru elected José María Balcázar as its president.
- Balcázar also automatically takes over the presidency after Jerím.
- Jerí was removed from his position due to suspicions of corruption.
- In ten years, Peru had as many as eight presidents.
- Jerí rejects accusations of corruption and defends his meetings with Chinese businessmen.
Ten years, eight presidents
The 83-year-old lawyer and former judge will become Peru’s eighth president in a decade after the vote was broadcast live on television. He will lead the country until his successor takes office on July 28, after the presidential elections scheduled for April 12.
Jerí was president for only four months. He was appointed to the position on a temporary basis in October as the chairman of the Congress. His predecessor, Dina Boluarte, was then deposed by the legislature for her “permanent moral inability” to fulfill the duties of her office and lack of political will to fight organized crime.
Jerí faces charges of corruption
On Tuesday, 75 MPs voted for Jerí’s dismissal, 24 were against and three abstained. Parliament removed him from office as he came under increasing pressure over an informal meeting with Chinese businessmen in December and alleged irregularities in the appointment of women to government posts.
According to AP, one of the Chinese businessmen has signed contracts with the Peruvian government, while the other is being investigated for suspected involvement in illegal logging. Jerí denies the corruption allegations and says he met with them to organize the Peru-China celebrations.
