Lawmakers will elect Peru’s next president after the latest ouster

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru’s Congress on Wednesday will choose the country’s eighth president in a decade to replace the newly ousted former leader José Jerí, with four lawmakers who are largely unknown to the public vying for the position.

The candidate who secures the most votes will lead the nation as interim president until July 28, when they will transfer power to the winner of a general election scheduled for April 12.

The revolving-door presidency in Peru reflects a political crisis fueled by a lack of legislative majorities for leaders. Lawmakers have frequently used a broad interpretation of a constitutional article regarding “permanent moral incapacity” to remove sitting presidents.

On Tuesday, Congress voted to remove Jerí after four months in office. The removal followed revelations regarding his undisclosed meetings with Chinese business owners, including a state contractor. Jerí asserted he was merely coordinating a Peruvian-Chinese festival.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched two preliminary investigations into Jerí over allegations of illegal sponsorship of private interests and influence-peddling to the detriment of the state.

Congress announced Tuesday that four candidates had officially registered for Wednesday night’s vote. Levels of support for each were unclear. To win, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes from those present. If no majority is reached, the two leading candidates will enter a runoff, where the person with the most votes wins.

The front-runner is thought to be María del Carmen Alva, a 58-year-old lawyer nominated by the conservative Popular Action party. Alva, who previously served as speaker of Congress, comes from a family that holds significant interests in the agro-export sector, specifically in companies that ship asparagus to international markets including the United States.

Another candidate is Héctor Acuña, a 68-year-old engineer representing the conservative group Honor and Democracy. He has significant private sector experience but is often viewed as having less traditional political seasoning than his rivals. He is the brother of César Acuña, a millionaire former governor and a presidential candidate for the April 12 election under the Alliance for Progress banner. The party previously provided key support to former presidents Dina Boluarte and Jerí.

The other candidates are José Balcázar, an 83-year-old former judge representing the leftist Perú Libre party, and Edgard Reymundo, a 73-year-old sociologist from the leftist Bloque Democrático.

Jerí’s successor will confront a surge in murders and extortion that continues to devastate small business owners and the working class.

Various political groups are demanding firm guarantees for a transparent election, which also will elect a new Congress consisting of 130 members of the Chamber of Deputies and 60 members of the Senate.

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