Premier Salvador del Solar, just under a month since he was sworn in to replace Cesar Villanueva, is in Congress today to present his cabinet’s government plan and to request a vote of confidence.
At the beginning of the week, Del Solar held meetings with each of the 11 political parties in Congress to outline the cabinet’s plans.
Del Solar has put forth a National Plan for Integrity and the Fight Against Corruption 2019-2021, with an emphasis on integrity in civil service, which he said in Congress is “the only thing that will guarantee the sustainability of the measures to fight corruption.” The five points he has highlighted are integrity and the fight against corruption; strengthening of institutions for good governance; equitable, competitive and sustainable economic growth; social development; and effective decentralization of government. He is to send several bills to Congress next week for specific measures.
Within his own demands to Congress, Del Solar emphasized the political and judicial reform projects that have been sitting in Congress since President Vizcarra presented them over eight months ago.
Despite the smiles at the preliminary meetings, Del Solar faces a challenge. Congress is in chaos, most parties have seen members move over to other benches, there are investigations and charges of corruption of several lawmakers, and both the five-member Apra party and the Fujimoristas of Fuerza Popular continue in their determination to make life as difficult as possible for President Vizcarra.
Although the majority opposition has offered to approve the new cabinet, this does not mean they won’t put Del Solar through a grueling, drawn out session of prepared speeches that could last well into the night. However, the confrontational energy may not be as robust today — only 67 of the total 132 lawmakers were present when the president of the Congress, Daniel Salaverry, opened the session at 9:15 am today.
Since Pedro Pablo Kuzcynski became president in July 2016, this government has had three major cabinet shifts, each requiring the new premier to go to Congress for a vote of confidence. The first cabinet shift came when Congress forced the resignation of the Education minister, Jaime Saavedra, on the grounds of general incompetence. Widely respected as an educator before he became minister, Saavedra now leads the Education Global Practice at the World Bank group.
