Peru's Congress voted overwhelmingly to begin impeachment proceedings against President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski nearly three months after lawmakers failed to oust him over his alleged ties to a Brazilian contractor mired in a regional corruption scandal.
The vote was 87-15, with 15 abstentions, to approve the impeachment motion against Kuczynski, who will be invited to Congress on March 22 to offer a defense, according to Bloomberg News, which cited a report by local cable news channel Canal N.
The motion seeking to oust Kuczynski on the grounds of "permanent moral incapacity" will again need the support of 87 lawmakers for it to pass in the final vote, the report said.
Kuczynski is accused of lying about his connections to Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, which allegedly paid bribes to government officials across Latin America in exchange for contracts.
Meanwhile, Peruvian central bank Chief Julio Velarde warned that the political uncertainty over Odebrecht could weaken the country's economic growth, Reuters reported.
Fitch Ratings said in January that it would lower its economic growth forecasts for Peru for 2018 and 2019 due to political tensions.
