Peruvian President Manuel Merino Resigns Amid Deadly Demonstrations

Peruvian interim president Manuel Merino announces resignation (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - Peru's interim president, Manuel Merino, resigned on Sunday, November 15 local time. He had only been in office for a week before the situation in the country went awry.

Merino resigned at the urging of lawmakers after protests over the previous president's dismissal resulted in two deaths. Peru's opposition-dominated Congress on Monday, Novemver 16 voted to remove Merinos' predecessor Martin Vizcarra from office.

Vizcarra is accused of accepting bribes. However, he denied the accusation. MPs meet on Sunday afternoon to determine the next president. Or at least to discuss how someone will be chosen.

People took to the streets to celebrate Merino's departure. Even so, the news of Merino's resignation has plunged Peru even further into legal uncertainty and chaos.

Lawmakers are now grappling with who will replace Merino as president. Congress is expected to hold a second vote in the evening after the first vote failed to garner majority support for Rocio Silva-Santisteban to be appointed interim president.

Silva-Santisteban is a leftist lawmaker and human rights defender. A tense atmosphere is depicted in the capital, Lima, as Peruvians await a decision on who will be the next president.

The latest political change comes as Peru, the world's second-largest copper producing country, is battling the coronavirus pandemic. Peru is expected to experience the worst economic contraction it has experienced in a century.