CONGRESS PICKS INTERIM PRESIDENT TO LEAD ECUADOR.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Congress selected its own leader, Fabian Alarcon, as Ecuador's interim president Tuesday night in the latest act in a weeklong political drama following the ousting oust tr.v. oust·ed, oust·ing, ousts 1. To eject from a position or place; force out: "the American Revolution, which ousted the English" Virginia S. Eifert. of the country's elected leader. Alarcon was chosen by a vote of 57-2 to replace caretaker president Rosalia Arteaga, who resigned earlier Tuesday after threatening not to leave to the post. Before resigning, she issued a decree calling for a national referendum on whether the country's vice president - the spot she occupied before being elevated by Congress on Sunday - should succeed the president if the position becomes vacant. ``I will return to the presidency of the republic only if that is the determination of the referendum,'' Arteaga said. Meanwhile, Abdala Bucaram, sacked as president last week by Congress, left the country Tuesday to spread the word that ``a civilian dictatorship has been imposed.'' ``I am president of the republic. I never resigned and never will resign,'' Bucaram, dressed in jeans and a sports shirt, told reporters and a small group of curious onlookers after arriving at Panama City Panama City, city (1990 pop. 34,378), seat of Bay co., NW Fla., on St. Andrews Bay; inc. 1909. A Gulf Coast resort with amusement parks and excellent fishing, it is also a port of entry. The city's industries produce paper, clothing, and chemicals. airport Tuesday night. Bucaram, who was dismissed for ``mental incapacity The absence of legal ability, competence, or qualifications. An individual incapacitated by infancy, for example, does not have the legal ability to enter into certain types of agreements, such as marriage or contracts. ,'' said his trip would include stopovers in other Latin American countries List of American countries Nations:
Amid a three-way struggle for the presidency, Congress picked Arteaga for the job Sunday under a military-negotiated agreement that put her in power only until legislators elected the interim leader. The 49-year-old Alarcon will serve as president until 1998, and must call new elections. Arteaga's sudden announcement Monday that she would not step down immediately infuriated in·fu·ri·ate tr.v. in·fu·ri·at·ed, in·fu·ri·at·ing, in·fu·ri·ates To make furious; enrage. adj. Archaic Furious. some in Congress. She changed her mind later Monday, only to change it back Tuesday before finally submitting. Arteaga, saying the constitution makes no provision for an interim leader, insisted it be amended before Congress can elect a temporary replacement. ``I think they're preparing a new coup against the constitution,'' she said Tuesday in an interview with CNN CNN or Cable News Network Subsidiary company of Turner Broadcasting Systems. It was created by Ted Turner in 1980 to present 24-hour live news broadcasts, using satellites to transmit reports from news bureaus around the world. , calling it ``a very dangerous precedent.'' Speaking from the president's office in the national palace, Arteaga also said the armed forces would have no role in resolving the political crisis, which began with Congress' dismissal of Bucaram. ``The role of the armed forces is internal and international security, but not acting in politics,'' she said when asked if she had the support of the powerful military. Bucaram, who calls himself ``El Loco'' - Spanish for ``The Crazy One'' - refused to step down when Congress voted him out, sparking a fight for the presidency among Bucaram, Arteaga and Alarcon. The turmoil raised fears of a military coup. While that did not happen, the crisis served to underscore The underscore character (_) is often used to make file, field and variable names more readable when blank spaces are not allowed. For example, NOVEL_1A.DOC, FIRST_NAME and Start_Routine. (character) underscore - _, ASCII 95. the power and influence of the armed forces in the fragile democracy. Ecuador's military - the ultimate arbiter of power - had to step in and negotiate a solution. Bucaram, accused of corruption, nepotism nep·o·tism n. Favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business. [French népotisme, from Italian nepotismo, from nepote, nephew, from Latin and embarrassing behavior during his six months in office, had charged in recent weeks that Arteaga was conspiring against him with her sharp attacks on his policies. |
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