http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18553813
Paraguay's Senate has voted to impeach left-wing President Fernando Lugo, forcing him to step down
"Both houses of Congress had voted on Thursday to begin impeachment proceedings over his handling of clashes between farmers and police last week in which at least 17 people died.
Mr Lugo likened the move to a coup by the right wing-controlled parliament, but said he would accept the decision."
.......
So, could this be said to be a thinly-deguised coup, the result of the machinations of the elites in the country who were uncomfortable with a left-leaning President or indeed a legitimate and constitutionally valid removal of a (in the eyes of Paraguayan legislators, at least) feckless and unsuitable leader?
Originally posted by generalissimoWhat are the constitutional grounds for impeachment in Paraguay?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18553813
[b]Paraguay's Senate has voted to impeach left-wing President Fernando Lugo, forcing him to step down
[/i]"Both houses of Congress had voted on Thursday to begin impeachment proceedings over his handling of clashes between farmers and police last week in which at least 17 people died.
Mr ...[text shortened]... emoval of a (in the eyes of Paraguayan legislators, at least) feckless and unsuitable leader?[/b]
Originally posted by no1marauderWell, his congressional opponents have cited the inadequacy of Lugo's leadership with regards to clashes between landowners and landless workers, as the reason behind his ousting.
What are the constitutional grounds for impeachment in Paraguay?
As for the Paraguayan constitution itself, it says the following on impeachment:
"(1) The president of the Republic, the vice president, cabinet ministers, justices of the Supreme Court of Justice, the attorney general, the public defender, the comptroller and the deputy comptroller general of the Republic, and members of the Superior Electoral Court may be forced to undergo impeachment proceedings for malfeasance in office, for crimes committed in office, or for common crimes."
http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/pa00000_.html
Originally posted by KazetNagorraWould you say that the legality of the impeachment proceedings and the possibility of it being a purely politically-motivated move by the right-wing opposition, in their efforts to restablish the hegemony of the Colorado party and the interests of the gilded landowners over those of the impoverished peasants, are mutually exclusive and entirely different concepts?
Well, if Paraguay's law allow parliament to send away the president, it's not really a coup, but simply the inability of the president to appease parliament and/or the choice of the people to elect a "right wing" parliament. But I certainly don't know the details of Paraguayan law.
Originally posted by generalissimoGee, that sounds pretty broad. Malfeasance could mean almost anything.
Well, his congressional opponents have cited the inadequacy of Lugo's leadership with regards to clashes between landowners and landless workers, as the reason behind his ousting.
As for the Paraguayan constitution itself, it says the following on impeachment:
"(1) The president of the Republic, the vice president, cabinet ministers, justices of th ...[text shortened]... s committed in office, or for common crimes."
http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/pa00000_.html
Sounds like the Constitution gives the legislature the power to remove the President for pretty much any reason and the legislature seemingly was poised to do just that,
Doesn't sound like a coup to me.
Whether the leader was "feckless" or "unsuitable" is seemingly beside the point. As long as Parliament had the Constitutional authority to do what they did, it's legitimate, whether it was a good idea or not.