New Delhi, Feb. 19 -- Peru's Congress late Wednesday elected legislator Jose Maria Balcazar as the country's eighth president in a decade, replacing another interim leader who was ousted the previous day over corruption allegations just four months into his term.

Balcazar, an 83-year-old former judge representing the leftist Peru Libre party, defeated three other candidates with a majority of the 130-member legislature.

The revolving-door presidency in Peru reflects a political crisis fueled by a lack of legislative majorities for leaders. Lawmakers have frequently used a broad interpretation of a constitutional article regarding "permanent moral incapacity" to remove sitting presidents.

Balcazar, a retired judge with nearly 30 years o...