The head of this body, Virgilio Saquicela, reiterated this Monday that it was necessary to clarify among all Assembly members whether or not the President should be prosecuted for the crime of embezzlement.
This is because last Saturday the Supervisory Commission did not approve a report on the case and therefore Article 142 of the Organic Law of the Legislative Body must be invoked, which states that in these cases the plenary must decide, explained Saquicela.
Government allies, in their eagerness to save Lasso, point out that the convening of tomorrow’s meeting is illegal, since the document rejected at the inspection table, which proposed dismissing the allegations against the ruler, has not been made public.
Ana Belén Cordero, deputy of the pro-government chamber, stated that while the plenary must decide whether the impeachment procedure is admissible, “it must be based on the submitted and reasoned report” and not on any other text.
Legal Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Jorge Benavides, agreed that parliamentarians have a duty to know the inspection document.
Despite these opinions, the 137 MPs were called together this Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. (local time) to discuss the case.
MEP Viviana Veloz, one of the proponents of the process, announced that she would submit a majority-supported report in support of the impeachment process.
Apparently the opposition will have the necessary 70 votes to give in to this procedure aimed at removing the CEO.
Alongside the assembly members of the Citizens Revolution (47) and the Social Christian Party (13), members of the divided Pachakutik Bank and some independents will support the continuation of the Lasso trial.
Although the government has maintained the president’s innocence, the indictment alleges that he was aware of irregularities in a government-damaging contract between the state-owned Flota Petrolera Ecuatoriana and the Amazonas Tanker company.
or/avr