As the President experiences the worst moment of his tenure, just 10 months after taking office, a deaf battle looms over the appointment of Castillo’s successor and the scenario after his vacancy, suspension, dismissal or forced resignation.
The triumphalism of the opposition, politicians and media reached its climax this week with the decision of the nation’s prosecutor, Pablo Sánchez, to include Castillo in an investigation into an allegedly corrupt network.
Among the options for removing Castillo from the government are those that propose the immediate vacancy (removal) for “moral incompetence,” a constitutional reason more than reasons requiring the support of two-thirds of the 130 congressmen.
There are those who insist on getting rid of Castillo as soon as possible with a third attempt at a vacancy after two misses, exposing the investigation, but fragmentation of the legislature does not guarantee a third miss will be avoided.
Faced with such a situation, lawmaker Diego Bazán of the far-right group Avanza País is preparing a project to reduce the number needed to evict Castillo, which has been questioned by lawmakers who believe it is a law would trade in their own name, which is illegal.
Another avenue would be for the oversight commission investigating meetings with businessmen and other interlocutors at a location other than the government palace.
According to former prosecutor Gladys Echaíz, a Conservative MP, this congressional faction, led by right-wing Héctor Ventura, could propose a constitutional-breaking indictment, leading to a parliamentary political process to remove the president.
There are also eight constitutional indictments on various counts in the hands of the sub-commission devoted to the issue, a group that Castillo can also remove through a political process estimated to last three months.
Congress is preparing to apply this procedure to Vice-President Dina Boluarte for a minor reason, namely the signing of documents as President of a provincial club, in violation of the constitutional norm that prohibits her from any activity outside of her work as Minister of Development or Social Admission.
It’s the immediate step in what co-ruling Free Peru party leader Vladimir Cerrón calls a “soft coup d’etat,” because without Boluarte, the presidential succession would fall into the hands of the congressional leader.
And this is where the differences begin, as transcended parliamentarians point out that current Congress President Maricarmen Alva, who has expressed her willingness to fill the head of state, would seek re-election as head of the legislature to that end since her term ends next Month.
However, MP Jorge Montoya of the far-right Popular Renovation block flatly ruled out re-election of the congress leader, saying his successor must be a person who meets the conditions for taking over the presidency.
In a recent poll by the non-governmental Institute for Peruvian Studies (IEP), Alva’s performance was disapproved of by 77 percent of respondents, contributing to his sacking.
Montoya suggests that Castillo’s successor should call new general, presidential and general elections soon.
Other lawmakers, such as retired Admiral José Cueto, also of Renovación Popular, favor the idea of electing just a new president to complete Castillo’s five-year term through 2016, leaving parliament in office until that year.
The IEP poll mentioned above found that 67 percent prefer general elections and only 3 percent believe Castillo will give up and end the current legislature, while 24 percent want the president to stay in office and parliament to be closed.
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