2023-05-08 18:20:02
QUITO (AP) — Ecuador’s Assembly is scheduled to meet Tuesday to decide whether to move forward with the impeachment trial of President Guillermo Lasso, whom he accuses of embezzlement of public funds.
The president of the Legislature, Virgilio Saquicela, was questioned on Monday by the lawyer Edgar Neira, defender of the president, who argued that the call violates the principle of legality established in the constitution and said that Saquicela commits an act that “does not make sense in law public” following a decision of the Oversight Committee of the Assembly.
After analyzing evidence and hearing testimony for 10 days, that commission on Saturday proposed a report clearing Lasso of responsibility, but the majority of the opposition on that commission did not approve the document.
Given this, the impeachment process passed into the hands of Saquicela, who decided to bring it to the attention of the plenary session of the Legislature where it is expected that the decision to advance or suspend the trial will be adopted by vote. In either case, the vote of at least 70 of the 137 legislators is required.
Lasso’s trial, which began a little over a month ago, had the endorsement of the Constitutional Court. The process has put the president in a position of political weakness since he has only received minimal support from assembly members who are sympathetic to the government.
In the event that the deadlines and the trial advance, the vote for the censure of the president is expected to take place between May 20 and 22. To get Lasso out of power, the votes of 92 of the 137 congressmen are required.
In the midst of this complex political scenario, the renewal of the authorities of the Assembly is scheduled for next week, which has unleashed a new race between the blocks to get votes to secure the positions.
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