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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippine's Arroyo Proposes Deck Chair Re-Arrangement |
| 2005-07-26 |
| MANILA (AFP) - Embattled Philippine President Gloria Arroyo proposed overhauling her country's political system as she tried to face down a new impeachment motion and a mass protest calling for her to resign. Fighting for survival over allegations she rigged last year's election, Arroyo used her State of the Nation address to outline sweeping changes that close allies have suggested could allow her to leave office with dignity. As around 40,000 protesters took to the streets to demand her ouster, Arroyo was greeted with applause from her supporters in Congress as she suggested a plan to scrap the presidency, draft a new constitution and create a parliament... Only indirectly referring to the crisis that has led a dozen cabinet members and top officials to quit, Arroyo appealed for national unity and said she wanted to press ahead with the economic reforms she began last year... As expected, the opposition filed a motion to impeach Arroyo before Monday's speech, charging her with what Congressman Ronaldo Zamora said was a battery of allegations including "betrayal of public trust.". He said the measure had the backing of 39 lawmakers and would reach the needed target of 79, one-third of the House of Representatives, within the two-week window that would automatically send it up to the Senate... According to a poll released on Sunday, 52 percent of Filipinos said Arroyo should resign -- but that call has not been joined by either the overwhelmingly Catholic country's influential bishops or the military. But former president and ex-military man Fidel Ramos, who helped topple dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, on Friday said changing the constitution could give Arroyo and the nation a dignified way out of the political morass. He said he would be "very, very unhappy" if she did not heed the proposal to make way for a prime minister next year, rather then trying to stick out a six-year term that expires in 2010. In another address to the nation last week, Arroyo said she would appoint a "truth commission" to look into the vote-rigging allegations but said she had taken the correct decision by refusing to resign. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #1 Really bad policy. She should resign, all this uncertainty is causing economic disruption. Making a big change in government structure will just prolong the uncertainty. |
| Posted by: buwaya 2005-07-26 12:59 |