Ecuador's Constitutional Court Says Approves Impeachment Proceedings Against President

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) The Constitutional Court of Ecuador said on Thursday that it had approved the impeachment proceedings against the head of state, Guillermo Lasso, on charges of embezzlement.

Earlier in March, a group of 58 lawmakers of the lower house of the Ecuadorian parliament, the National Assembly, submitted a demand to the speaker of the National Assembly to impeach the president on charges of corruption violations.

"By a supermajority of six votes in favor and three votes against, the plenary decided to dismiss two charges related to the alleged crime of bribery and allow impeachment for the alleged crime of embezzlement," the court said in a statement.

After the court ruling, the petition for impeachment is returned to the parliament, which will have a month and a half to consider the arguments of the accusers and Lasso's defense. To approve the impeachment procedure, 92 out of 137 lawmakers of the lower house of the parliament must vote for it.