ASUNCION, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies rejected a motion to subject Vice President Pedro Alliana to an impeachment trial, with 30 voting in favor and 48 against during an extraordinary session Thursday.
Alliana is now in a position to assume the presidency if the Senate accepts Paraguayan President Santiago Pena's resignation, which he submitted earlier in the day amid mounting pressure over the crisis at digital lender Ueno Bank, one of Paraguay's leading banks.
The vice president was accused of participating in a legislative effort to shield information regarding the insolvency crisis at the bank, an institution with ties to Pena.
Opposition lawmakers criticized Alliana for endorsing the decision to deposit social security funds in Ueno Bank and remaining silent in the face of warnings concerning Pena.
Lawmakers argued that both the president and vice president were aware of the critical situation at the bank, but failed to prioritize the public interest over private interests.
Pena said he was resigning to seek "stability" for the country, and offered an apology to the public if he had let them down.
The Central Bank of Paraguay was forced to intervene to dissolve Ueno Bank, which held the bulk of the public funds and retirement assets belonging to Paraguay's Social Welfare Institute. ■
