[JURIST] The Ecuadorian Congress [official website] will debate Tuesday whether to begin impeachment proceedings against embattled President Lucio Gutierrez [Wikipedia profile]. Gutierrez has come under fire for dissolving the Ecuador Supreme Court last December [JURIST report] and stacking the court with his supporters and then again attempting to dismiss the Supreme Court last week [JURIST report]. Over the weekend, Ecuador's congress voted to dismiss the court [JURIST report] and now will consider whether to start the impeachment process against Gutierrez. A simple majority is needed to begin impeachment proceedings; a two-thirds majority would be needed to oust the president. Some opposition leaders have indicated that they would like to finish the process of reforming the Ecuador Supreme Court [official website] before beginning the process of impeachment. Reuters has more.
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