Again the president of the Constitution Commission of Congress and congressman of Fuerza Popular, Patricia Juarez, promotes an electoral counter-reform. On Friday, May 13, the fujimorista presented a bill so that governors and mayors can be reelected successively.
The project is already in the Constitution Commission, headquarters of various counter-reforms. The project has the support of Congressman People’s ForceDavid Jiménez, of those of Country advancesAlejandro Cavero and Patricia Chirinos, and the ungrouped Carlos Anderson.
This is a constitutional reform initiative. In other words, it needs 87 votes in favor in two plenary sessions of different legislatures to receive the green light. The election of the new Constitutional Court (TC) made it clear that it is no longer difficult for the opposition to obtain that number of votes, since When it comes to electoral counter-reforms, Fujimorism, its allies and Peru Libre, play to the wall.
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It happened when the Congress approved a law that grants more time to political parties to register their pre-candidates and another norm – promoted by Peru Libre – that reduces the fines for candidates who commit infractions in the presentation of their reports of expenses and campaign contributions.
They change the Constitution
The proposal of Patricia Juarez seeks to modify two articles of the Constitution – 191 and 194 – a few months before the 2022 Regional and Municipal Elections.
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“The Regional Governor is elected jointly with a regional deputy governor, by direct suffrage for a period of four years. The mandate of said authorities is revocable, in accordance with law. They can be re-elected for a successive term. The members of the Regional Council are elected in the same way and for the same period. The mandate of these authorities is inalienable, with the exception of the cases provided for in the Constitution”, says the project of the Fujimori, regarding the modification of article 191 of the Magna Carta.
“The mayors and aldermen are elected by direct suffrage, for a period of four years. His mandate is revocable, according to law. They can be re-elected for a successive term. The mandate of mayors and aldermen is inalienable, with the exception of the cases provided for in the Constitution”, points out this initiative when it refers to changing article 194 of the Constitution.
In 2015, Congress approved prohibiting the re-election of regional governors and mayors. The rule was enacted by the government of Ollanta Humala. However, the citizen Fernando Galindo Alvizuri, representing 5,323 signatories, filed an unconstitutionality lawsuit before the constitutional Court (CT).
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Discrepancies
The ruling of the TC was known on October 5, 2018, on the eve of the Regional and Municipal Elections of that year. The verdict was against the claim of unconstitutionality. Judges Manuel Miranda, Carlos Ramos, Marianella Ledesma, Eloy Espinoza and Augusto Ferrero Costa voted against. In favor were Ernesto Blume and José Luis Sardón.
“This decision means that the issue is closed. The modification is totally constitutional,” Blume told RPP at the time.
However, with the new composition of the TC, endorsed by Congress, the new cards are on the table for Fuerza Popular.
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Juárez was deputy mayor in the administration of Luis Castañeda Lossio, former mayor of Lima. Castañeda was successively re-elected as mayor of the capital. His management was tainted by corruption investigations. Juárez publicly defended him.
In fact, Juárez was president of the High-Level Disciplinary Administrative Processes Commission during the Castañeda administration, in 2009. The fujimorista investigated the Comunicore case. His file finally cleared the former leader of National Solidarity.
In the Juarez bill, it is argued that re-election allows authorities to keep their promises. Castañeda was re-elected and his management did not necessarily end free from investigations.
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Governors investigated and sentenced
Felix Moreno was regional governor of Callao and He is currently being investigated for corruption in the Lava Jato case..
Wilfredo Oscorimaformer governor of Ayacucho, was sentenced to five years in pretrial detention in March 2016 for corruption.
César Álvarez, former governor of Áncash, was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2019 for having received bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for the Chacas-San Luis corridor.
