Lima, Peru and ?? - 22 November, 2000

APTN - November

1. Wide of Congress

2. Paniagua entering and meeting vice President Luz Salgado of congress

3. Paniagua putting on presidential banner with congress clapping

4. Pan of congress clapping and chanting

5. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Valentin Paniagua, Interim President of Peru

6. Congress listening to Peruvian national anthem

7. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Valentin Paniagua, Interim President of Peru

8. Paniagua greeting ex Presidents Fernando Belaunde and Fernando Morales

Bermudes

9. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Alejandro Toledo, Peruvian Opposition Leader

10. Paniagua exiting congress

11. Various of hundreds of elated supporters waving Peruvian flags outside government palace

12. Paniagua car moving through crowd into palace

13. Paniagua greeting crowd from balcony with supporters waving Peruvian flags

14. Close up of Paniagua at palace balcony

15. Cars with dignitaries arriving to palace

16. Various of Paniagua greeting dignitaries including Alejandro Toledo

17. Various of crowds outside presidential palace

APTN File

..... of perez

Spanish/Nat

Interim Peruvian President Valentin Paniagua took oath of office Wednesday in Lima's congress, ending Alberto Fujimori's tumultuous decade long authoritarian rule.

Fujimori, whose iron grip on power was broken by a corruption scandal around fugitive ex-spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos, went to Japan on Friday before announcing that he would resign.

Opposition lawmakers ignored his resignation, and instead pushed through a vote late on Tuesday to vacate the presidency, ousting the leader on constitutional grounds of moral incapacity.

Valentin Paniagua, widely respected across the political spectrum for his conciliatory style of leadership, took the oath of office to replace Fujimori.

Marking a sharp break with Fujimori's autocratic regime, Paniagua pledged honesty and impartiality as the hallmarks of his caretaker government.

Sixty four year old Paniagua was elected Congress president six days ago, marking the end of Fujimori's eight-year domination of the legislature.

Paniagua is charged with guiding Peru until a new president is sworn in next July.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)

"I swear to God to serve my country to take on the responsibities as President of which I assume in accordance with the Peruvian constitution from this moment until July 28, 2001."

SUPER CAPTION: Valentin Paniagua, Interim President of Peru

Paniagua named former U-N Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, as Prime Minister in his speech to Congress.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)

"I am pleased to announce that the cabinet of reconciliation national will be presided by the illustrious Peruvian citizen Don Javier Perez de Cuellar."

SUPER CAPTION: Valentin Paniagua, Interim President of Peru

After the ceremony finished in congress, opposition leader Alejandro Toledo said that he would fully support the interim government.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)

"The time has come to live the future. From today we have to build it, the government. We are going to fully support this transitionary government."

SUPER CAPTION: Alejandro Toledo, Peruvian Opposition Leader

After the swearing in ceremony, Paniagua arrived at his new residency the government palace in car where he was greeted by hundreds of supporters who swarmed his car and the palace gates.

Paniagua addressed the gathered crowd from the palace balcony as supporters waved white flags.

Late Wednesday President Paniagua greeted Peruvian members of congress, Ambassadors and Peru's military in the government palace as his first task as President of Peru.

New elections are scheduled for April 8.