Peru Plans to Forbid Perks, Vote Buying in Upcoming Electoral Campaign

The National Jury of Elections (JNE) will examine if the recently promulgated political parties law can be applied immediately, JNE President Francisco Tavara told local media on Monday.

Among the articles of the law that could be implemented at this stage, the magistrate referred to the prohibition against offering financial benefits during campaigning. Offering perks for support is a common practice in Peruvian electoral campaigns, with parties doing things like raffling prizes such as electrical appliances in political meetings.

A political leader recently complained that one of her opponents rewarded meeting participants with silverware, while her party was only handing out food products.

However, the prohibition may be complicated to implement, warned the former head of the National Office of Electoral Processes Fernando Tuesta, arguing JNE officials cannot constantly monitor parties and their members.

In his opinion, another article of the law, which prohibits political parties from being funded via drug-trafficking or terrorism, risks violating the principle of presumption of innocence.

The JNE is also considering legislation that would increase the percentage of votes required to 6 percent (up from 5) for electoral alliances between parties, in order to maintain their presence on the electoral register.

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The new figure coincides with the percentage of votes estimated in recent polls for the neoliberal coalition between the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA,) of former President Alan Garcia, and Popular Cristiano, of Lourdes Flores.

Garcia, the alliance's presidential candidate, replied that polls did not mean anything, as his alliance failed to win the last three elections despite leading the polls.

This year, another neoliberal candidate has ranked first in the polls for several months: Keiko Fujimori, daughter of dictator Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), who has since been imprisoned over corruption charges.

On Sunday, the European Union sent an exploratory mission to Peru aimed at coordinating the future visit of E.U. electoral observers, invited by the JNE to observe the vote on April 10. Other international and regional organizations have also been requested, including the Organization of American States (OAS), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Carter Center.

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