Sharjah 24 – AFP: Ecuador's National Assembly suspended early Sunday a no-confidence hearing for President Guillermo Lasso, after eight hours of acrimonious deliberations by lawmakers over his responsibility for nationwide protests against rising fuel and living costs.
Opposition lawmakers had called the parliamentary session over what they say is Lasso's role in "the serious political crisis and internal commotion" that have left five people dead and dozens injured in 13 days of revolt.
The Assembly will vote on whether to oust the conservative ex-banker who took power a year ago, and who is self-isolating after a Covid-19 diagnosis.
But after nearly eight hours of debate, parliament president Virgilio Saquicela called for the session to be reconvened on Sunday afternoon.
"I proceed to suspend the present session and convene it for its continuation on Sunday at 4 pm (2100 GMT)," he said.
The debate was at the request of the 47 opposition lawmakers in the leftist Union for Hope coalition.
"Let's go to early elections, let Lasso go home," said Assemblywoman Pierina Correa, sister of a former president, during the late-night session.
But Lasso's legal secretary Fabian Pozo -- appointed to read the president's defence -- pointed the finger at his opponents.
"The assembly members... seek to destablize democracy," Pozo said.
Lasso's dismissal would require 92 votes out of 137 in the assembly, in which opposition parties are in the majority. The body's Twitter account said 135 out of those 137 lawmakers are taking part.
Once the debate is concluded, legislators will have 72 hours to decide on a course of action.
If they vote to unseat Lasso, Vice President Alfredo Borrero will assume interim power and call new presidential and legislative elections.
The attempted ousting comes as an estimated 14,000 protesters are taking part in a nationwide show of discontent against rising hardship in an economy dealt a serious blow by the coronavirus pandemic.
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