Ecuador’s constitutional court said on Wednesday that impeachment hearings for conservative President Guillermo Lasso, sought by opposition lawmakers over alleged corruption in state-owned companies, could be held.

The decision raises the possibility that Mr Lasso will dissolve the assembly and call early elections for both his seat and seats in parliament.

The government is rejecting Mr. Lasso’s impeachment petition, the president’s press office said on Twitter, but will respect the court’s decision and maintain his innocence.

In mid-March, 59 opposition MPs formally demanded a hearing, accusing Mr. Lasso of embezzlement and bribery, which he has always denied.

On Wednesday, the court decided to allow the embezzlement charge to continue, but decided not to allow two other charges related to alleged abuse of power to be heard.

The approval of the Constitutional Court allows the assembly to hold hearings, but this does not confirm the claims of the judges.

“This court calls on the institutions involved in the impeachment process to always act in accordance with the rights provided by the constitution and the rule of law,” the court said in a statement.

Lawmakers this month backed a report accusing Lasso of links to possible crimes against state security and public administration, amid investigations by the attorney general’s office into possible bribery at state-owned companies.

Members also voted for file declassification involved in corruption investigations looking for evidence to support an impeachment attempt, but neither Mr. Lasso nor any of his family members appeared in the documents.

Supporters of this effort need 92 votes from the 137-member caucus to convict or remove Mr. Lasso if the process reaches a final vote.

Opposition officials, led by lawmakers from former President Rafael Correa’s party, said they were confident they could reach that figure.

The constitution enshrined what is known as a two-sided death, allowing Lasso to call elections for both his seat and the assembly instead of having to face hearings.

Source: Reuters, APE-MPE.