Peru’s Kuczynski dodges impeachment, but is badly weakened
Lima, (MILLAT ONLINE):A much-weakened Pedro Pablo Kuczynski embarked on a cabinet reshuffle Friday, a day after the Peruvian president narrowly staved off impeachment over allegations of corruption linked to disgraced Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.
But the failure to topple the 79-year-old president has also opened a serious rift within the opposition, which had been convinced it had the votes to force him out.
Analysts said Kuczynski, who had been staring down charges of corruption and lying, would have to introduce “severe changes” in the way he runs his government, which was elected 18 months ago.
One of those immediate changes was accepting the resignation tendered last week by his interior minister Carlos Basombrio, who has yet to publicly disclose why is stepping down.
After a week of political uncertainty that has roiled markets in Peru, Kuczynski — an economist by training — survived a 14-hour session in Congress that failed by eight votes to institute impeachment proceedings.
Kuczynski had been accused of taking $5 million in bribes from Odebrecht and then lying to cover his tracks.
“The president has certainly been saved, but his image has been tarnished,” said political analyst Fernando Tuesta Soldevilla.
After his close shave, Kuczynski announced the country would embark on a “new chapter… of reconciliation and reconstruction.” He had earlier called the accusations against him a “coup” and an “attack” on democracy.
The impeachment charges were being pushed by an opposition led by Keiko Fujimori, daughter of ex-president Alberto Fujimori, who is in jail on corruption and human rights charges.
She lost to Kuczynski in last year’s presidential election and is herself facing questioning linked to the sprawling Odebrecht graft investigation.
Many Peruvians expressed relief Friday that their president had dodged the bullet.
“If he had been impeached, Fujimoriism would have been more powerful and that would have fed into internal strife and instability,” said 35-year-old Nicolas Sandoval.