PERU’S CONGRESS ELECTS JOSE MARIA BALCAZAR AS COUNTRY’S INTERIM PRESIDENT

BOGOTA (Colombia), Feb 19 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Peru's Congress elected leftist lawmaker Jose Maria Balcazar as the country's new interim president Wednesday, a day after lawmakers removed his predecessor amid corruption allegations, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

Balcazar, an 83-year-old legislator, won the most votes in a parliamentary session in Lima and will serve as interim head of state until July 28 as Peru prepares for presidential elections scheduled for later this year.

He becomes the eighth person to hold Peru's top office in the past 10 years.

Congress on Tuesday voted to censure interim President Jose Jeri, ending his brief tenure of just over four months.

Lawmakers accused Jeri of lacking the suitability to oversee the transition to elections and cited multiple corruption investigations.

According to Peruvian media and prosecutors, Jeri is under investigation for alleged influence peddling, including undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessman Zhihua Yang, whose company had recently received government approval for a major hydroelectric project. Jeri has denied wrongdoing.

Jeri had assumed the presidency last October following the removal of Dina Boluarte, who was ousted amid widespread protests and allegations of abuse of power.

Political parties have already begun campaigning ahead of the July election, with analysts warning that persistent instability could undermine voter trust and complicate efforts to address Peru's economic and social challenges.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU