Peru’s Fujimori Resigns

L I M A, Peru, Nov. 20 -- Peru’s President Alberto Fujimori, holed up in a hotel in Japan, has presented his resignation, the head of Congress said today.

“President Fujimori’s resignation letter has arrived,addressed to members of Congress,” Valentin Paniagua, anopposition figure elected head of parliament last week, told reporters.

“Congress will resolve the matter of this letter and theresignation request tomorrow,” he said.

He declined to give details. Fujimori has given no clueabout when — or if — he will return from Japan, his ancestral homeland.

Cornered by escalating charges of government corruption ina nine-week-old crisis that has rocked the country, Fujimori announced Sunday his intention to quit, leaving his Second Vice President Ricardo Marquez in charge. But Marquez has since resigned and will not take over Fujimori’s post.

“I’m doing it because I think my resignation will bringstability just at the right time,” Marquez, a Fujimori loyalistand vice-president since 1995, told reporters in thepresidential palace.

With Marquez quitting, the most likely scenario would befor the head of Congress, moderate opposition lawmaker ValentinPaniagua, to assume the presidency until scheduled generalelections in April, according to political analysts.

The other possibility would be for Peru’s FirstVice-President Francisco Tudela to take over. Although Tudelaresigned in October to protest the influence of ex-spy chiefVladimiro Montesinos in Peru, Congress never accepted hisresignation.

Many in the opposition favor Paniagua taking his place and have said they are preparing congressional moves to declare Fujimori morally unfit to rule, rather than accept his resignation.

Corruption Scandal

The resignation came amid a growing corruption scandal revolving around Fujimori’s fugitive ex-intelligence chief, Vladimiro Montesinos.

The scandal forced the 62-year-old Fujimori to announce in September that he would step down in July after new elections — ending a decade of iron-fisted rule.