Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra dissolved the country's opposition-run Congress on Sept. 30, accusing legislators of repeated attempts to choke his government's anti-corruption reforms, according to multiple media reports.
Vizcarra also announced new legislative elections for Jan. 26, 2020, in a bid to end his yearlong impasse with lawmakers who have failed to pass reforms and who recently rejected a bill for a snap general election.
The president said he made the decision after Congress appointed a new member to Peru's Constitutional Tribunal — the country's top court and the likely adjudicator in any legal dispute between the legislative body and Vizcarra's government.
Peru's constitution allows presidents to dissolve Congress if the body issues two votes of no confidence. The current Congress has delivered one no-confidence vote when Vizcarra served as vice president under former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. Vizcarra said the appointment of a new Constitutional Tribunal justice counts as a second vote. The president survived a confidence vote back in June.
However, opposition lawmakers blamed the president of violating constitutional limits, with dozens of them declaring Vice President Mercedes Araoz as the country's interim leader and preparing a motion to impeach Vizcarra. Government officials said the move was void since the chamber was already officially closed.
In separate statements, Peru's military and police said they both still recognize Vizcarra as president and commander in chief, Reuters reported.
"The parliamentary majority resorts to innumerable arguments and tricks, destined to harm not just government but society as a whole," Vizcarra said in a televised address. "What happened in Congress underscores the shamelessness to which the parliamentary majority has fallen."
Vizcarra came to power after Kuczynski resigned in March 2018 amid accusation that he received bribes from Brazilian engineering and construction conglomerate Odebrecht. According to BBC News, Peru's three other most recent presidents were all entangled in corruption scandals linked to Odebrecht.
