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WORLD NEWS A11
Friday 11 March 2016
OAS concerned by barring of presidential candidates in Peru
FRANKLIN BRICENO became clear that he had Presidential candidate Julio Guzman answers a question during a press conference in Lima, Peru,
Associated Press become the lone serious Thursday, March 10, 2016. Peru’s electoral council on Wednesday barred Guzman, the main chal-
LIMA, Peru (AP) — The Or- challenger to Fujimori. lenger to front-runner Keiko Fujimori from the country’s April 10 presidential election on a techni-
ganization of American “While the system of chal- cality.
States expressed concern lenges laid out in electoral
Thursday over the timing legislation upholds the right (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
of the disqualification of to a hearing and judicial
candidates from Peru’s appeal, the timeframe set
presidential race and said for the presentation of mo-
it was sending an observer tions to disqualify candi-
mission for the election, dates leads to uncertainty
in which the daughter of in both the electorate
jailed strongman Alberto and the candidates them-
Fujimori is the front-runner. selves,” the OAS said in a
The decision by Peru’s statement.
electoral board to bar Kei- It said it would send an ob-
ko Fujimori’s main rival on a server mission to Peru on
technicality just one month Monday to follow up on
ahead of the April 10 vote preparations for the vote
has sparked charges of po- and to meet with election
litical chicanery and a vow officials, political organiza-
by economist Julio Guz- tions and representatives
man to fight his disqualifi- of civic groups.
cation. Guzman wasn’t the only
The board voided Guz- presidential candidate dis-
man’s candidacy on a 3-2 qualified Wednesday. The
vote Wednesday, claiming board also found Cesar
the mechanism by which Acuna, a private university
his party chose him violat- entrepreneur, broke the
ed its own internal rules. law by handing out cash
Analysts called the ruling at a campaign event. He
petty, noting that never be- had recently been running
fore in Peruvian history had a distant fourth in polls.
a candidate been so strick- Guzman’s party said it
en from a presidential race. would file an “extraordi-
Others wondered why no nary appeal” to the top
one found fault with how electoral court against his
Guzman was chosen until it disqualification. q
Venezuela’s congress debates
bill to recall President Maduro
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) attempted coup.
— Venezuela’s opposition- Congress is expected to
controlled Congress has give the bill final approval
given preliminary approval later this month.
to a bill that would put the A recall is one of several
country on the road to a strategies the opposition is
presidential recall referen- pursuing to remove Presi-
dum. dent Nicolas Maduro from
During the floor debate office. They blame him for
Thursday, opposition law- the widespread shortages,
makers said they hope the deep recession and raging
initiative leads to a peace- inflation plaguing Venezu-
ful transition of power this ela.
year. The opposition is also call-
Members of the ruling so- ing for street protests start-
cialist party, which controls ing this Saturday and a
the presidency and most constitutional amendment
state institutions, said the that would shorten Madu-
legislation amounted to an ro’s term.q
