Prime Minister Fernando Zavala and the entire Cabinet forced to resign

PERU - In Brief 15 Sep 2017 by Roberto Abusada

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After Minister of Education Marilu Martens was summoned to Congress for an impeachment procedure (a process that can or not result in a censure vote), after a six week teachers’ strike, the Fuerza Popular party that commands an absolute majority announced its intention to sack her through a censure vote. At that point Prime Minister Fernando Zavala escalated the conflict by stating that the government would not tolerate congressional challenge to its educational policy, and asked to attend Congress for a Vote of Confidence. He explained that Martens was continuing with a crucial educational reform that was cut short by last December’s censure of the previous Education Minister Jaime Saavedra. Congress responded by a vote of No Confidence, with 77 for, 22 against and 16 abstentions. Under the Peruvian Constitution, a no-confidence vote results in an automatically forced resignation of the entire cabinet, with the President having to name a new one within 72 hours. If a new Cabinet fails to get a congressional Confidence Vote for a second time, the President has the constitutional right to dissolve Congress and call for new congressional elections. There is speculation that the true intention behind Zavala’s move is to place Congress on the verge of dissolution, should the parliamentary majority continue to challenge governmental policies. But there is also the possibility that President Kuczynski will replace Zavala with a more politically savvy and independent Prime Minister; someone abler to negotiate with the majority in Congress, and implement the much needed structural reforms. Both parties have the same market friendly goals, but the overwhelming difference in con...