Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 15 december 2017
Bermuda territory votes to end same-sex marriage Brazil’s Temer fails

to get pensions
HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) before it becomes law in marriage after it had been Sen. Nandi Outerbridge reform vote done
— The Senate in Bermuda the Atlantic ocean territory. granted in a jurisdiction and said before the vote.
gave final legislative A Supreme Court ruling that global reaction could Ruling party Sen. Crystal By M. SAVARESE
approval Wednesday to in May made same-sex hurt the tourism industry. Casesar defended the bill, Associated Press
a measure that would marriages legal in Bermuda They said it is discriminatory saying it would codify the SAO PAULO (AP) — A pen-
end same-sex marriage amid opposition on the because same-sex couples rights of domestic partners, sion reform that’s key to
in the British island territory socially conservative island. would have only the option something the Supreme the economic agenda of
and allow only domestic The ruling Progressive Labor of domestic partnerships Court did not do in its ruling Brazilian President Michel
partnerships. Party took up the matter while opposite-sex couples and acknowledges the Temer won’t come to a
Senators approved the after winning power in the could choose between reality of public opinion on vote this year, lowering
Domestic Partnership Act July election. marriage or a domestic the island. the chances he can get it
by an 8-3 vote. The House Opponents of the partnership. “Society largely does not passed before leaving of-
of Assembly approved it legislation said that it would “This bill in its simplest forms support same-sex marriage fice.
24-10 on Friday. It must now be unprecedented to strips away rights from nor is it prepared to accept Chamber of Deputies
be signed by the governor strip the right to same-sex human beings,” opposition it at this time,” she said.q Speaker Rodrigo Maia said

Peru: on Thursday he aims put
the bill to a vote on Feb.
President is in trouble over Odebrecht payments 19, but even that is far from
certain. And passage may
become harder as the Oc-
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Presi- tober 2018 general elec-
dent Pedro Pablo Kuczynski tion nears.
found himself in hot water Temer is struggling to get
Wednesday over previous- the 308 votes needed to
ly undisclosed payments pass the measure, which
that he received a decade would require most peo-
ago as a consultant to a ple to work more years to
giant Brazilian construction receive full benefits. The
company at the center of embattled leader says the
Latin America’s biggest reform is needed so that
graft scandal. Brazil can achieve sustain-
Kuczynski as recently as No- able growth, but it has met
vember had vehemently widespread resistance.
denied any professional or Temer’s current popular-
political ties to Odebrecht ity is in single digits, though
even as wagged his fin- he’s maintained support
ger at three predecessors from business leaders and
facing criminal charges most lawmakers.
for taking millions in bribes Maia, who is an ally of the
from the company. president, said he believes
But on Wednesday oppo- the austerity bill can be ap-
sition lawmakers revealed proved a week after Brazil
documents from Odebre- stops to celebrate Carnival
cht showing that his finan- next year.
cial consulting business, “We will debate this topic
Westfield Capital, received in a transparent way. This
$782,000 in payments be- time, even in an electoral
tween 2004 and 2007 from year, it can be approved,”
two consortiums led by the Maia said.
Brazilian company. Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski attends the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Danang, “Ideally we would vote
Making matters worse, sev- Vietnam. Kuczynski is in hot water over decade-old payments he received as a consultant to a now, but time will help us
eral of the payments to Brazilian construction firm at the center of Latin America’s biggest-ever graft scandal. clarify,” he added. “We
Westfield were made when (Jorge Silva/Pool photo via AP) don’t have the votes to-
Kuczynski was serving as ing the administrations of lawmakers’ request. over $4 million in payments day.”
economy minister or prime Toledo and two of his suc- The 79-year-old former Wall from an Odebrecht-owned Rating agency Moody’s
minister in the 2001 to 2006 cessors. Street investor said that in irrigation project and other said in a statement that the
government of President There was no indication five decades in business he companies between 2005 delay “raises the chances
Alejandro Toledo. whether Kuczynski broke earned his compensation and 2013. that the reform is not ap-
Authorities across Latin any laws with the payments honorably and that as a The documents detail- proved next year, given
America have been mov- he received. public official he never fa- ing the date and amount the uncertainty around the
ing fast to charge officials But he sounded on the de- vored any particular busi- of dozens of payments to presidential elections.”
accused of taking some fensive in a two-minute tele- ness. Westfield and First Capital Moody’s rates Brazil Ba2,
$800 million in bribes from vised address Wednesday “I’m ready to clarify every- were provided by Odebre- which is in the speculative
Odebrecht, which the night from the presidential thing that needs to be clari- cht in response to lawmak- range. Former President
company acknowledged palace. He acknowledged fied before congress and ers’ request. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,
making in a 2016 plea receiving the payments the public prosecutor’s of- Kuczynski was elected who leads pre-election
agreement with the U.S. and said he would meet fice, as I have nothing to president in 2016 after a lu- polls, post, is one of the
Justice Department. Used with a congressional com- hide,” he said. crative career in business in main critics of Temer’s
to win business in 12 coun- mittee investigating pay- Kuczynski has also acknowl- part on his pledge to clean pension reform, though da
tries, the bribes included ments from Odebrecht to edged working for another up corruption. As a sitting Silva could be barred from
some $29 million paid in political leaders, reversing consulting business, First president he is immune running if a court upholds a
Peru for projects built dur- an earlier decision to shun Capital, which received from prosecution.q corruption conviction.q