Peru president loses temper on TV after vote video
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-10-04 16:15

Peru's President Alejandro Toledo took the rare step of calling a television show on Sunday after it aired a video it said supported allegations of fraud in registering his party for 2000 elections, but swiftly lost his temper and hung up after insulting the presenter.

 America Television's Cuarto Poder show aired two video clips, one showing Toledo handing documents into the electoral authorities, and another showing him celebrating in a restaurant where he was flanked by his wife and sister.

 Toledo, who has repeatedly denied allegations that his party falsified signatures to be eligible for the vote, called the station to complain that no one from the show had called him or his staff for their version before airing the video.

 In the celebration video, Toledo was seen praising the people who "transcribed, entered and rechecked" the signatures, but he said on his call that the lists had to be scrutinized against electoral rolls, saved on disk and checked.

 An audibly furious Toledo accused the show of peddling manipulative journalism as anchor Carlos Espa tried and failed to get a word in edgeways and both men battled to be heard. Espa lamented at one point" Toledo concluded: "A half truth is worse than a lie. That's enough of trying to stain people's honor ... I won't permit it, I haven't anything more to say. You are a coward," and hung up. The line went dead on air.

 Allegations from witnesses in recent months alleged that Toledo's sister Margarita was involved, with the president's blessing, in running a "forgery factory" falsifying signatures to register his party. She has denied this.

 Toledo promised a clean break with the corruption that became endemic under the government of disgraced ex-President Alberto Fujimori, but has himself lost seven ministers to corruption scandals.

 The signatures scandal itself has drawn comparisons with the forgery of 1 million signatures to register Fujimori's successful bid for an unprecedented third term in 2000.

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