The Congress of the republic last Monday censured its president, Lady Camonesafter the broadcast of an audio in which the leader of the Alliance for Progress is heard, Cesar Acunaask him to expedite the approval of a bill that would favor him electorally.
The decision was made with 61 votes in favor, 47 against and 5 abstentions. Immediately, the first vice-president of the Parliament, Martha Moyano, declared the vacancy of Camones and announced that it will proceed in accordance with article 12 of the Regulations of the Congress.
The aforementioned article states that Parliament must hold elections within five days after the vacancy is made official.
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Camones – who a day earlier requested a license from his Alliance for Progress militancy – did not even obtain the support of the other members of the Board of Directors: only Moyano voted against censorship, while the second vice president, Digna Calle, did not. voted, and the third vice president, Alejandro Muñante, abstained.
Camones, who had been in office for less than a month and a half, became the second president of Congress to be censured. The first was Martha Hildebrandt in 2000.
The legislator made two political gestures to stay in office: she asked her party for leave and requested that the Ethics Commission investigate her, but she did not get support.
Until the plenary session of Congress elects a new president, the position will be in the hands of Martha Moyano, although in the opinion of the expert on parliamentary issues, Alejandro Rospigliosi, the entire Board of Directors should evaluate the resignation.
Rospigliosi also recalled that “the presidencies of the Alliance for Progress in Congress have been the shortest in history,” referring to those of Camones and Luis Valdez. The latter was head of the interim Parliament after the assumption of Manuel Merino in November 2020.
postures
The motion of censure against Camones was promoted by Congressman Guillermo Bermejo, from Democratic Peru.
During the debate on that proposal, legislator Kelly Portalatino, from Peru Libre, accused Camones and Acuña of violating the independence of Parliament. In addition, she urged the prosecution to investigate whether they committed alleged crimes such as illegal sponsorship, improper use of the position, influence peddling and criminal organization.
Meanwhile, Congresswoman Flor Pablo, from the Integrity and Development bench, asked that Parliament act with the same firmness with which it questions the Executive, “because if not, we return to the times of otorongo does not eat otorongo.”
Rosangella Barbarán, from Fuerza Popular, opposed the censorship with the argument that the opposition to the government of Pedro Castillo must remain united. “It’s the only way to stand up to this government that’s trying to stick it out the window,” she said.
| BENCH | A FAVOR | AGAINST | ABSTENTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| People’s Force | 0 | 22 | |
| Free Peru | 14 | 0 | |
| People’s Action | 8 | 5 | |
| Magisterial Block | 9 | 0 | |
| Alliance for Progress | 0 | 7 | |
| People’s Renewal | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Country advances | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| Democratic Peru | 4 | 0 | |
| We can Peru | 2 | 1 | |
| Integrity and Development | 6 | 0 | |
| Democratic Change | 5 | 0 | |
| We are Peru | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Peru Bicentennial | 4 | 0 | |
| not grouped | 2 | 3 | |
| TOTAL | 61 | 47 | 5 |
After the decision against Camones, legislator Alejandro Soto, from the Alianza para el Progreso, sent a letter to the senior official of Congress, José Cevasco, to request reconsideration of the vote.
Soto is one of the protagonists of the leaked audio. In this he is heard referring to the option of vacating President Pedro Castillo.
APP crisis deepens
Hours before the censorship of Camones, legislator Roberto Chiabra resigned from the Alianza para el Progreso caucus “for reasons of conscience.”
With the departure of Chiabra and the expulsion of Heidy Juárez, the group went from having 11 congressmen to only nine members.
Juarez said he found out on Twitter on Sunday about his expulsion from the party, and that he will take legal action to clean up his image.
“The same day that Epicentro TV released the audios, two hours later they were accusing me of being responsible. [de haberlos filtrado] without having an expertise involved. Under what parameters or techniques have these evaluations been carried out?” said the parliamentarian.
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Juárez also lamented that she was described as a “government mole.”
Eduardo Salhuana, alternate spokesman for the Alliance for Progress, told El Comercio: “If a sector of the citizenry believes that we have acted incorrectly, we apologize for the case. It is an ethical, social reproach, but it is not of a criminal or electoral nature, as the Executive has implied,” he said, referring to the press conference given by Prime Minister Aníbal Torres and the other members of the Cabinet to request the resignation of the Board of Directors of Congress.
At the event, the Minister of Justice, Félix Chero, pointed out that Acuña, Camones and others involved must be investigated for alleged usurpation of functions, illegal sponsorship, influence peddling and even criminal organization.