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Peru's president asks his cabinet to resign


Lima / AFP
08/12/05

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo said Thursday he had asked his entire cabinet of 15 ministers to resign in a bid to manage a political crisis sparked by the resignation of Peru's most powerful minister.

"I've asked the entire cabinet to put their offices at my disposal," Toledo said in a short televised announcement. The Peruvian leader said he would decide in the next couple of days who would stay and who would go.

Toledo presented the development as a "recomposition of my government" and said it would allow cabinet ministers to freely participate in presidential and legislative polls on April 2006.

The move to overhaul the cabinet came hours after cabinet chief Carlos Ferrero resigned -- minutes after a controversial foreign minister was sworn in Thursday, according to an official statement.

"Carlos Ferrero submitted his irrevocable resignation as president of the council of ministers," according to the statement. Fernando Olivera was earlier named as foreign minister, leader of the Independent Moralizing Front, a small party that backed Toledo's candidacy, touching off the political crisis.

Popular housing minister Carlos Bruce, a leader of Toledo's party, Peru Possible, also quit in protest. Olivera, who replaced Manuel Rodriguez, has been widely criticized by the opposition as well as by some members of the government because he is not a career diplomat and for his conflictive style.

The new foreign minister was also the target of criticism from his political allies, including Peru Possible. Toledo, whose term ends in April 2006, has an abysmal approval rating, with 80 percent of Peruvians holding a negative view of the job he is doing.

His government has been repeatedly challenged by street protesters who accuse him of ignoring campaign promises, especially not to privatize certain power plants. Toledo responded by placing large parts of the country under a state of emergency.

Toledo came to office after his predecessor, Alberto Fujimori, fled to Japan rather than face corruption accusations.
He is a US-trained economist.