Fujimori Will Resign Within Two Days

L I M A, Peru, Nov. 19, 2000 -- 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.

Next in line for succession after the second vice president isthe Congress president — Valentin Paniagua, a political moderatewho was installed last week by opposition legislators.

Trip Prompted Rumors

Fujimori’s trip abroad prompted a wave of rumors that he wouldstep down and seek asylum. He was criticized for leaving Peru toattend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Bruneion Wednesday and Thursday.

On Friday, he made an unannounced detour to Japan, canceling aplanned trip to Panama this weekend where Spanish-speaking andPortuguese-speaking leaders held an Ibero-American summit.

At first Japanese officials had said he was in the country onlyfor a layover to change planes, then Japan’s Foreign Ministry saidFujimori would stay longer than planned because he had a cold.

But later Saturday, the Peruvian government announced thatFujimori planned to remain in Tokyo until Wednesday to negotiateloans to ease Peru’s financial problems.

Apparently Incriminating Video

Fujimori’s grip on power began to fall apart after Montesinos,his longtime top aide, was shown in a video leaked to the mediaapparently bribing an opposition lawmaker to support thegovernment. Montesinos fled to Panama but was denied asylum andreturned to Peru.

Since then, Fujimori has led an unsuccessful manhunt forMontesinos, who is wanted for alleged money-laundering after Swissauthorities froze $48 million in accounts linked to the formerspymaster. The amount under investigation swelled to $58 millionafter other accounts were discovered in the Cayman Islands, Uruguayand New York, authorities said.

Montesinos faces criminal complaints in Peru ranging from moneylaundering and directing state-sponsored death squads and tortureto skimming profits from narcotics trades during his 10 years asFujimori’s top aide.

Despite Montesinos’ dark reputation, Fujimori for years haddefended their close relationship, insisting that Montesinos provedhighly effective in helping to defeat leftist rebels and undercutnarcotics trafficking.

Fujimori, who first came to power in 1990, was born to Japaneseimmigrant parents who picked cotton in Peru until they opened atailor’s shop in downtown Lima.

The president has maintained strong ties to Japan. His son,Hiro, lives there, as do his sister and brother-in-law, VictorAritomi, Peru’s ambassador to the country.