Peru’s Congress ousted President Jose Jeri on Tuesday after just four months in office over a scandal surrounding secret meetings with a Chinese businessman.
75 representatives voted for the removal of Jose Jeri, 24 were against, and three abstained.
Jeri said that he will respect the outcome of the vote.
Lawmakers are due to elect a new congressional leader tomorrow who will also take over as Peru’s president.
The current leader of the congress, Fernando Rospigliosi, is the constitutional heir to the title, but has refused to assume the presidency.
Jeri is the third consecutive president of Peru to be removed from office, and his successor will become the Andean nation’s eighth president in as many years.
The scandal occurred last month when Jeri was filmed arriving at a restaurant late at night for a secret meeting with Chinese businessman Zhihua Yang, who owns shops and a concession for an energy project.
Jeri became president in October after Peru’s congress voted unanimously to oust his predecessor Dina Boluarte amid corruption scandals and growing anger over the country’s rising crime rate.
The general elections should be held on April 12, and it is expected that dozens of candidates will participate in them.
According to a recent Ipsos poll, a large part of the electorate is undecided about who they will vote for.
(Vijesti.ba)
