Mercedes Araoz, Peru's vice president who was recently sworn in as interim president under dubious circumstances, resigned from both positions on Oct. 1 amid a constitutional crisis triggered by President Martin Vizcarra's dissolution of Congress, Reuters reported.
Vizcarra dissolved Peru's opposition-run Congress on Sept. 30 as he accused lawmakers of repeatedly blocking his anti-graft reforms. In response, opposition lawmakers blamed the president of violating constitutional limits and started preparing a motion to impeach him.
They also declared Araoz as the country's interim leader, but government officials argued the move was void as Congress had already been dissolved prior to that decision.
Peru's constitution allows presidents to dissolve Congress if it issues two votes of no confidence against a single administration. The present Congress delivered one such vote earlier, and Vizcarra said the body's recent appointment of a new justice to the Constitutional Tribunal — the country's top court and the likely adjudicator in any legal dispute between the legislature and the government — counted as a second vote.
"I hope my resignation leads to ... general elections as soon as possible for the good of the country," Araoz said in her announcement.
Her resignation came after a regional body, the Organization of American States, said the Constitutional Tribunal should decide whether Vizcarra's dissolution of Congress is legal or not. Peru's military and police have both remained loyal to Vizcarra, who has scheduled new legislative elections in January 2020.
"It's a constructive step that elections have been called in accordance with constitutional timeframes and that the definitive decision falls to the Peruvian people," the Organization of American States said. "The political polarization the country is suffering can be resolved at the ballot box."
