Fujimori Will Resign Within Two Days
L I M A, Peru, Nov. 19 -- President Alberto Fujimori, whose 10-yearauthoritarian rule has crumbled in recent months over corruptionscandals, said he will resign within 48 hours.
The written statement from Fujimori came during a visit to hisancestral homeland of Japan. It followed similar statements fromtop government officials.
Peru’s Second Vice President Ricardo Marquez says Fujimori hasasked him to preside until after special elections are held inApril and a new president takes office in July.
An announcement was made on Peru’smajor news radio station.
“President Alberto Fujimori will present his resignation … toCongress on Monday or Tuesday at the latest,” Prime MinisterFederico Salas told Radioprogramas.
Salas said Fujimori would explain his move when he resigned.
“What I know is that he does not want to be an obstacle to theprocess of democratization so that the next elections can beelections absolutely transparent for the Peruvian people,” hesaid.
Corruption Scandal
The announcement came amid a growing corruption scandalrevolving around Fujimori’s fugitive ex-intelligence chief,Vladimiro Montesinos. The scandal forced the 62-year-old Fujimorito announce in September that he would step down in July after newelections — ending a decade of iron-fisted rule.
Normally under the constitution, First Vice President FranciscoTudela would assume the presidency. But Tudela presented hisresignation hours after Montesinos returned to Peru on Oct. 23after a failed asylum bid in Panama. Tudela complained thatFujimori was not in control of Montesinos and his allies.
Marquez, the second vice president, had said that he, too, wouldresign if Congress — which last week came under opposition controlfor the first time since 1992 — took measures to remove Fujimori.But he said today that Fujimori asked him not to quit.
“I’ve just spoken with him and he has said he would like me toassume the position and I told the president that … I am going totake the post,” Marquez told radio station CPN.
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