With confidence vote, Peru revives debate over anti-graft reforms
Peru's President
Peru's government won aconfidencevotein the country's Congress on Wednesday, revivingdebateoverPresident Martin Vizcarra's flagging effort to passanti-corruption measures.
The president had asked the opposition-controlled Congress for aconfidencevoteas part of his effort to pressure the legislature into approving a reform package, including measures aimed at cleaning up campaign financing and curbing the immunity against prosecution enjoyed by lawmakers.
"Thisvotenow implies the beginning of talks with the government," independent legislator Juan Sheput told local television, referring to an expected jump start of negotiationsover Vizcarra'santi-corruption program.
Theconfidencevotepassed with 77 in favour, 44 against and three abstentions.Debateon theconfidencemotion had started on Tuesday and lasted for more than nine hours before resuming on Wednesday.
Avoteof noconfidencewould have triggered the disbanding of the cabinet and allowed Vizcarra to call special legislative elections. The threat triggered cries of "coup" from political enemies who accused him of strong-arming lawmakers.
Vizcarra called for theconfidencevoteafter the oppositionvoted down or otherwise blocked his reform agenda.
A business-friendly former vice president, Vizcarra took office a littleovera year ago after his predecessor resigned in disgrace - one of several politicians entangled in a bribery probe involving Brazilian builder Odebrecht.