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| Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo faces impeachment | Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo faces impeachment |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Paraguay's parliament has voted to have President Fernando Lugo impeached after deadly land clashes last week. | |
| The opposition-controlled Chamber of Deputies voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move. | |
| Mr Lugo has faced severe criticism over his handling of a forced land eviction in which seven police officers and at least nine farmers were killed. | Mr Lugo has faced severe criticism over his handling of a forced land eviction in which seven police officers and at least nine farmers were killed. |
| The vote has to pass to the Senate, also opposition controlled, for approval. | The vote has to pass to the Senate, also opposition controlled, for approval. |
| Mr Lugo appeared on national television to respond to the vote and confirm that he would not resign. | |
| "This president announces that he is not going to present his resignation and that he will fully respect the constitution and the law to face the impeachment trial and its full consequences," he said. | |
| Mr Lugo added: "There is no valid cause - neither legal nor political - to make me resign." | |
| More than 300 police officers tried to evict 150 landless farmers from an estate owned by a wealthy businessman who is also a political opponent of Mr Lugo's. | More than 300 police officers tried to evict 150 landless farmers from an estate owned by a wealthy businessman who is also a political opponent of Mr Lugo's. |
| The eviction escalated into violence and the farmers opened fire on the police. | The eviction escalated into violence and the farmers opened fire on the police. |
| Nine farmers involved in the clashes were charged with murder. | Nine farmers involved in the clashes were charged with murder. |
| 'Irregular circumstances' | 'Irregular circumstances' |
| The farmers have argued the land was illegally taken during the 1954-1989 military rule of Gen Alfredo Stroessner and distributed among his allies. | |
| Land disputes are not unusual in Paraguay, where a small fraction of the population owns about 80% of the land. | |
| According to the Paraguayan Truth Commission, 6.75 million hectares of land were sold or handed over under "irregular circumstances" during military rule. | |
| When he was elected in 2008, Mr Lugo campaigned for the needs of the poor and had promised land for some 87,000 landless families. | |
| On Wednesday, in an attempt to calm tensions over the incident, Mr Lugo said he would open an investigation into what happened. | On Wednesday, in an attempt to calm tensions over the incident, Mr Lugo said he would open an investigation into what happened. |
| The interior minister and the chief of police have already resigned over the clashes. | The interior minister and the chief of police have already resigned over the clashes. |
| Mr Lugo, who heads a coalition government, was elected four years ago. | Mr Lugo, who heads a coalition government, was elected four years ago. |
| Paraguay's Constitution states that when a President is impeached the vice-president must take over for the remainder of the original term in office. | |
| His term ends in August 2013 and the next presidential elections are due in April of that year. | His term ends in August 2013 and the next presidential elections are due in April of that year. |