Politics of Peru

The current president is Alejandro Toledo, leader of Peru Posible. He was elected with 53% of the votes in second ballot in the 2001 election defeating former socialist president Alan Garcia. Peru Posible, with 45 seats, was also the largest in the 120-seat parliament.

The second and third largest parties are in opposition; respectively Partido Aprista Peruano (short: PAP, 28 seats), which is led by Alan Garcia Perez, and Unidad Nacional (short: UN, 17 seats), which is led by Lourdes Flores Nano.

Other important political currents stem from the ongoing investigation of Fujimori-era corruption (notably the proceedings against Fujimori’s former advisor, Vladimiro Montesinos), and an increase in activities by Sendero Luminoso, a maoist insurgent group.

The Toledo government has remained committed to neoliberal economic policies and structural reform in the hope of attracting sufficient international investment to generate growth and job creation. After the resignation of President Fujimori, Alejandro Toledo cannot run for the presidency again. The next presidential election will be held on Sunday, April the 9th, 2006, and more than 16 million Peruvians will be able to vote worldwide.

The Republic of Peru is in a state of ongoing democratization. Led by President Alejandro Toledo, the executive branch is attempting to be transparent and accountable. Previously a rubberstamp body, Peru’s unicameral Congress is emerging as a strong counterbalance to the once dominant executive branch, with increased oversight and investigative powers. The executive branch and Congress are attempting to reform the judicial branch, antiquated and rife with corruption.

Peruvians, whose expectations were raised during the 2000 and 2001 election campaigns, are frustrated at the slow pace of economic recovery and job creation. As discontent rises, the Toledo administration is in a race to strengthen the economy so that popular pressures do not force a shift to more radical measures. So far, the Toledo government remains committed to neoliberal economic policies and structural reform in the hope of attracting sufficient international investment to generate growth and job creation.

Other important political currents stem from the ongoing investigation of Fujimori-era corruption (notably the proceedings against Fujimori’s former advisor, Vladimiro Montesinos), and an increase in activities by the insurgent group Sendero Luminoso. The recent trial of Abimael Guzman has been suspended, due in part to Guzman’s use of it as a forum for broadcasting Sendero Luminoso propaganda.

Regarding the latter, the Toledo government has been forced to consider putting resources back into the security forces which they had been hoping to use to fund social programs.

Branches of government

Executive branch

The President of Peru is popularly elected for a five-year term, and the 1993 constitution permits one consecutive re-election. All citizens above the age of eighteen are entitled and in fact compelled to vote. The first and second vice presidents also are popularly elected but have no constitutional functions unless the president is unable to discharge his duties.

The President appoints the Council of Ministers (Consejo de Ministros, or Cabinet) and Prime Minister (primer ministro). All presidential decree laws or draft bills sent to Congress must be approved by the Council of Ministers.

President Toledo has held office since 28 July 2001, after winning a special election and runoff on 3 June 2001 by 53% of the vote, following the scandal of the previous year’s election. The next election will be held on 9 April 2006. Prime Minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has occupied his position since 16 August 2005, replacing Carlos Ferrero.

Legislative branch

The legislative branch consists of a unicameral Congress (Congreso) of 120 members. In addition to passing laws, Congress ratifies treaties, authorizes government loans, and approves the government budget. The president has the power to block legislation with which the executive branch does not agree.

The last election, held on 8 April 2001, produced the following distribution of seats within the Congress:
Peru Posible: 47
APRA: 28
Unidad Nacional: 17
FIM: 11
Others: 17.

The next congressional election will be held on 9 April 2006.

Judicial branch

The judicial branch of government is headed by a 16-member Supreme Court seated in Lima. The National Council of the Judiciary appoints judges to this court.

The Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) interprets the constitution on matters of individual rights. Superior courts in departmental capitals review appeals from decisions by lower courts. Courts of first instance are located in provincial capitals and are divided into civil, penal, and special chambers. The judiciary has created several temporary specialized courts in an attempt to reduce the large backlog of cases pending final court action.

Peru’s legal system is based on civil law system. Peru has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. In 1996 a human rights ombudsman’s office (defensor del pueblo) was created to address human rights issues.

Administrative divisions

Peru’s territory, according to the Regionalization Law which was passed on 18 November 2002, is divided into 25 regions (regiones). These regions are subdivided into provinces, which are composed of districts. There are a total of 180 provinces and 1747 districts in Peru.

Lima Province is not part of any political region.

Amazonas
Ancash
Apurimac
Arequipa
Ayacucho
Cajamarca
Callao
Cusco
Huancavelica
Huanuco
Ica
Junin
La Libertad
Lambayeque
Lima Provincias
Loreto
Madre de Dios
Moquegua
Pasco
Piura
Puno
San Martin
Tacna
Tumbes
Ucayali

Political parties and leaders

Peruvian Aprista Party (PAP), still commonly known by its older name of American Popular Revolutionary Alliance or APRA (Alan Garcia)
Independent Moralizing Front or FIM (Fernando Olivera Vega)
National Unity or UN (Lourdes Flores Nano)
Peru Posible or PP (Alejandro Toledo)
Popular Action Party or AP (Javier Diaz Orihuela)
Solucion Popular (Carlos Bolona)
Somos Peru or SP (Alberto Andrade)
Union for Peru or UPP (Roger Guerra Garcia)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Leftist guerrilla groups include Shining Path Abimael Guzman (imprisoned), Gabriel Macario (top leader at-large); Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA Victor Polay (imprisoned), Hugo Avellaneda Valdez (top leader at-large). Both Shining Path and MRTA are considered terrorist organizations.

International organization participation

Peru or Peruvian organizations participate in the following international organizations:
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Andean Community of Nations (CAN)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Group of Fifteen (G-15)
Group of Twenty-Four (G-24)
Group of 77 (G-77)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
International Criminal Court (ICC)
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
International Red Cross
International Development Association (IDA)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
IMF, International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Interpol
IOC
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (correspondent)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Latin American Economic System (LAES)
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)
United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
OAS
Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL)
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
Rio Group (RG)
South American Community of Nations (SCN)
United Nations
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)
United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
World Confederation of Labor (WCL)
World Customs Organization (WCO)
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
World Tourism Organization (WToO)
World Trade Organization (WTrO)