Archive for the ‘Electoral System’ Category
Coverage of President Alejandro Toledo Speech
JNE: Second Round could Take Place on May 28th or June 4th
Transparencia: Resumen Informativo
For hourly updates on the election visit Resumen Informativo posted by Transparencia.
Personeros de los Partidos
OAS: Conditions for Election Adequate
Más de 140 mil peruanos aptos para votar en USA
70,000 miembros de FFAA y PNP votarán el 9 de abril
Potential Issues that could Arise with Preferential Vote
Interview with Lloyd Axworthy: Results must be Respected
Source: El Peruano, 6 de abril del 2006
Presos por corrupción pidieron emitir su voto
http://elcomercio.pe/edicionimpresa/html/2006-04-06/ImpTemaDia0484851.html
Unos treinta presos procesados por delito de corrupción que se encuentran con arresto domiciliario fueron autorizados para emitir su voto porque así lo pidieron a la ONPE, según la Dirección de Seguridad de Penales (Dirsepen). Entre ellos hay un coronel EP (r) del grupo Colina, designado secretario de mesa.
Ellos están autorizados a votar porque tienen su DNI y no han sido sentenciados, precisó la Dirsepen, de tal forma, añadió, que el domingo serán acompañados por uno o dos policías a los centros de sufragio.
Entre los autorizados a votar está el coronel EP Víctor Silva Mendoza, ex jefe del Servicio de Inteligencia del Ejército, vinculado al grupo Colina, quien irá a una mesa de Barranco.
También están los generales Carlos Bergamino Cruz, Jorge Girano Soto, Abraham Cano Angulo, Walter Chacón Málaga, Juan Yanqui Cervantes, Ricardo Sotero Navarro, Walter Jave Huangal, Jorge Malpartida.
Pero no solo ellos, también sufragarán Orlando Montesinos Torres (hermano del ‘Doc’), los ex vocales Alipio Montes de Oca y Lorenzi Goicochea; los hermanos Áybar Cancho, comprometidos en el tráfico de armas para las FARC colombianas. Igualmente Carlos Echevarría Quevedo, juzgado por violación y Pedro Santillán Galdós, por tráfico de drogas.
Según la ONPE, solo los reclusos con sentencia y en los penales no están autorizados a votar por carecer de DNI pero los procesados (sin veredicto) pueden ejercer su derecho al sufragio. La Dirsepen ha dispuesto un plan especial para llevarlos y luego regresarlos a sus domicilios.
Transparencia Will Conduct a Quick Count
Military vote will not be decisive in the elections, according to spokespersons from the non-governmental organization Transparencia. A meeting convened to seal a copy of the sample of voting booths that it would use for a quick count on election day turned into a dicussion of the military and police vote when journalists present asked about recent statements by candidate Humala concerning a possible fraud. Percy Medina reminded people that 138,000 men and women in uniform represent 0.84 percent of the electorate. Only one third will be able to vote. This does not mean that a fraud is being committed, however. Pepi Patron said this issue should not be dramatized. In the face of threats to take to the streets, Medina called for presidentiail candidates to maintain their calm.
Figures: 138,156 military and police are eligible to vote (though not all are registered).
19,883 belong to the army.
9,995 to the Airforce
20,500 to the marines
87,778 to the national police
JNE, ONPE & RENIEC Guarantee Transparent Elections
Enrique Mendoza, President of the National Election Board, Magdalena Chú, Chief of National Office of Electoral Processes and Eduardo Ruiz, the head of the National Registry of Identity and Civil Status, met to indicate their unity of purpose in carrying out transparent elections.
OAS Observers to be sent into emergency areas
According to Lloyd Axworthy, in statements to the international press, the OAS will be sending observers across the country for the April 9 election, including areas of conflict.
Peruvian Electoral Population
Source: El Comercio, 5 de abril del 2006
94 mil policías vigilarán comicios del 9 de abril
94,000 police officers will provide security on election day. This is the first election in which they will be able to vote. The police will rotate throughout the day so that they can also vote. Even so, about 40 percent of the police will not be able to vote because their work will take them far from their domicile.
Interview with Ollanta Humala
In this interview with BBC Mundo, posted by Venezolana de Television, candidate Ollanta Humala expresses his concerns with the armed forces not being able to vote on April 9th.
OAS Electoral Mission Approved ONPE’s Electoral Software
Most of the local press has commented on the arrival of the OAS Election Observation Mission. The Chief of the Mission, Lloyd Axworthy, discounted the possibility of fraud given the transparency and professionalism with which the organization of the election is being carried out, and called for candidates to avoid attacks and insults.
Proceso electoral se efectuará con 3 actas separadas
OAS Obervation Mission Calls for Respect and Tolerance in this Election
In a press comunique, the Organization of American States Observation Mission has made a call for respect and tolerance to all political actors.
ONPE responds to Allegations of Possible Fraud
During an interview with Canal N, retired General Ludwig Essenwanger, former intelligence chief and advisor on defense issues for candidate Ollanta Humala, suggested the possibility of a popular uprising if there were indications of fraud in this election, as suggested during a rally by candidate Humala. In a press conference, Magadalena Chu, ONPE Chief, responded to Ollanta Humala’s Claim of Fraud assuring elections will take place according to the law.
Ollanta Humala’s Claim of Fraud Rejected by Other Candidates
Ollanta Humala’s claim that his movement will be the victim of a fraud if members of the armed forces supporting his candidacy cannot vote on April 9 has been roundly rejected by other candidates.
Natale Amprimo Challenges ONPE Resolution
Natale Amprimo, candidate for Alianza para el Progreso, challenged the ONPE resolution that allows the votes for the president, congress, and Andean parliament to be counted sequentially. According to Mr. Amprimo, the ONPE should not separate the three forms with voting results (actas) because this opens the door to fraud and chaos in the process of scrutinizing the votes. He claims the ONPE is not providing a guarantee of transparency in the election. Amprimo´s action came shortly after a spokesperson for the National Election Board (JNE) had sounded the alarm that the ONPE resolution could be subject to a legal challenge. The ONPE has proposed to count the votes sequentially, starting with the presidential election, in order to be able to offer official (as opposed to exit poll) results on the same day as the election.
Minister of Defense, Marciano Rengifo: Only 35% of the Armed Forces will Vote
According to the Minister of Defense, Marciano Rengifo, only about 35 percent of the military will vote on April 9. There will be a major mobilization of the armed forces into the interior of the country. Only about 33,000 members of the armed forces will be where they are registered according to their identity cards. The Minister denied reports that the military intelligence service is following Ollanta Humala’s campaign activities.
JNE-ONPE: One or Three Acts?
In todays editorial, La Republica emphasizes the need for the ONPE and the JNE to reach agreement on whether there the ballot consists of one or three acts.
ONPE calls for vote in three acts; JNE for one single act
Yet another dispute has broken out between the ONPE and JNE. This one is over whether the ballot consists of a single act or three separate acts. ONPE upholds the view that on April 9 there will be three separate elections (one for president, one for congress, and one for the Andean parliament). This interpretation enables ONPE to tear off the presidential act and count all the presidential votes first (thus enabling a quick dissemination of the results). The JNE insists that there is one election and all votes have to be counted simultaneously before official results can be released.
OAS Electoral Observation Mission Begins its Work in Lima Today
ONPE Sends Election Materials to Provinces
ONPE has begun to send election materials to local offices around the country.
ONPE: Date for Second Round not yet Chosen
National Unity Telephone Advertising Campaign
The Peruvian Consumers Association has received hundreds of calls complaining about a National Unity telephone advertising campaign.
APRA denuncia al FIM por “campaña agraviante” ante el JNE
Andean Parliament Candidate Presents Administrative Demand against JNE
Jorge Paz Machado, Andean Parliament candidate in the list of Peru Posible has presented an administrive demand against the National Electoral Board (JNE) for changing his number in the congressional list for 10 instead of 15.
JNE Working toward a Clean, Transparent Electoral Process
JNE will Permit Exit Polls on the Day of the Election
Sunday, April 2 is the last day for pollster to publish the results of their surveys.
On the day of the election, April 9th, pollsters will be able to do exit polls and make the results public from 4:00 pm on.
Se dió inicio a la Franja Electoral
Tras realizar la Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE) el 24 de febrero el sorteo para determinar su orden de aparición, desde hoy, las organizaciones políticas que participan en los comicios generales del 9 de abril, utilizarán la franja electoral en los medios de comunicación públicos y privados.
ONPE: Electoral Material Ready to be Deliver to Peruvian Consulates around the World
Close to 500,000 Peruvians outside Perú will be able to vote on April 9 in 2,510 voting stations. ONPE has delivered the electoral materials to the ministry of external relations in Lima to mail to Peruvian consulates around the world.
340 Candidates Excluded by JNE
340 candidates have been prevented from running for congress by the National Election Board (JNE). According to the JNE, the registration of many of these candidates was rejected because the candidates did not provide accurate information about themselves to the Board. All candidates are required to provide an hoja de vida, a brief curiculum vitae. The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) now has the precise information about the candidates to congress and Andean parliament necessary to print all election materials. However, the information has not yet arrived at the ONPE. As of yesterday, the information the ONPE had included candidates who were still under review, and it was this information that has been printed to be sent abroad. The JNE also gave the green light yesterday to 22 other candidates who had been blocked.
Much of the conflict between the JNE and the ONPE originates in the expressed intent of officials of the JNE to merge the two intitutions into one. A spokesperson for the RENIEC, which manages the voters list, has expressed opposition to such a merger.
Nicolás Lynch sobre las tachas electorales
Cronograma Electoral: Disposiciones Legales del JNE
Source: La República, 14 de marzo del 2006
El Jurado Nacional de Elecciones publicó cronograma con las disposiciones legales que todo ciudadano deberá cumplir antes, durante y después de las elecciones del próximo 9 de abril.
ONPE inició el viernes impresión de 18 millones de cédulas
Source: La República, 13 de marzo del 2006
La Dra. Magdalena Chú Villanueva, Jefa de la Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE) confirmó el día viernes pasado el inicio de la impresión de las cédulas de sufragio para un total de 16 millones 494 mil 906 electores que participarán en las elecciones generales del 9 de abril.
No se exigirá uso de tinta indeleble a los electores de zonas de emergencia
La Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE), estableció esta disposición especial como medida de seguridad para lograr un voto consciente de los electores en los próximos comicios del 9 de abril.
JNE aprueba candidaturas de candidatos que acudirían al Tribunal Constitucional
El viernes pasado Nicolás Lynch (PS), Agustín Haya (PAP), Enrique Cornejo (PAP), Javier Barreda (PAP) y Alejandro Narváez (MNI), habían cuestionado la impugnación a sus postulaciones decidida por el Jurado Nacional de Elecciones, alegando que “no se había seguido el debido proceso”, dejando en claro que si el JNE no daba solución a sus reclamos acudirían al Tribunal Constitucional. Tras dos días de deliberaciones, el sábado fueron aprobados Lynch, Dammert y Narváez, mientras que el día de ayer fue el turno de los 3 candidatos por el APRA, Haya, Cornejo y Barreda.
APRA to take Election Authorities to Constitutional Tribunal
Unless the National Election Board (JNE) backs down, the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance is threatening to take the election authorities to the Constitutional Tribunal in protest against the refusal of the JNE to allow a number of its candidates to run for congress.
APRA’s Lawyer, Javier Valle Riestra, argues that the right to be elected is a fundamental human right enshrined in the constitution and international conventions, and it cannot be denied by election authorities based on arbitrary legal resolutions without undermining the legitimacy of the electoral process. A constitutional challenge could mean further delays before the final list of candidates is known.
Meanwhile, the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) insists that the delays caused by the JNE affect its ability to print preparatory material necessary for the election and could mean the inability to get ballots to polling stations abroad. The election can be kept within the electoral calendar only if the JNE finalizes the list of candidates by tomorrow, said Magdalena Chu, the head of ONPE.
JNE continúa eliminando candidatos al Congreso
El Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (JNE) eliminó de la contienda electoral a 5 candidatos del APRA y 6 de la alianza electoral del Frente de Centro. La sorpresa la dió la admisión del conocido cantante de música tropical Abelardo Gutierrez Alanya, más conocido como “Tongo”, de Renacimiento Andino.
UPDATE: On March 12 La Republica reported Dammert was approved to run by the JNE.
¿Cuántos peruanos van a votar el 9 de abril?
Source: El Comercio, 10 de marzo del 2006
ONPE otorgó 430 minutos para franja electoral
Por medio de una resolución publicada hoy en el diario oficial El Peruano, la Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE), estableció el nuevo tiempo que regirá para los partidos políticos hasta un día antes de los comicios generales del 9 de abril:
– Perú Posible: 65 minutos y 35 segundos (Partido con mayor cantidad de minutos)
– Partido Aprista: 58 minutos y 30 segundos
– Unidad Nacional: 30 minutos y 10 segundos
– Frente Independiente Moralizador (FIM): 17 minutos y 76 segundos
– Unión por el Perú (UPP): 14 minutos y 24 segundos
– Demás organizaciones políticas: 12 minutos y 48 segundos.
Asimismo, anunció que el próximo jueves 16 será el día en que se dará inicio a la franja electoral en los medios de comunicación privados.
ONPE Prints Ballots
Notwithstanding the fact that it has not received from the National Election Board (JNE) a finalized and complete list of candidates, the ONPE has begun to print ballots for the April 9 election. Ballots do not contain the names of congressional candidates, but ONPE has been insisting that it should print the ballots along with the documentation of names of candidates at the same time because this is required by law and is less costly. However, to insist on simultaneous production of the ballots and list of candidates would cause delays and could interfere with the election calendar.
Meanwhile, a number of candidates who have been rejected by the JNE are using the last available appeal procedure. Last night on Prensa Libre, Rosa Maria Palacios interviewed three university professors who have been barred because they did not present documentation showing they are on unpaid leave of absence from San Marcos University–Manuel Dammert, Agustin Haya de la Torre, and Nicolas Lynch. They are arguing that their constitutional right to be elected is being infringed by arbitrary legal roadblocks. Lynch referred to the decision by the JNE as a “fraud.”
In an interview with La Primera, Agustin Haya de la Torre says the JNE is delegitimating the elections, and he threatens to challenge the decision before international organizations.
Dispute between ONPE and JNE continues
The dispute continues between the ONPE and JNE. ONPE official Carlos Loyola says the time is up for the JNE to provide the complete list of candidates to congress and the Andean Parliament for the April 9 election. There can be no further delays, he said, without putting the electoral calendar at risk, something the JNE dismisses.
JNE autorizó retorno de 17 candidatos a la contienda electoral
El Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (JNE) continuó con la publicación de las resoluciones en las que declara fundados los recursos de apelación interpuestos contra los fallos del Jurado Electoral Especial Lima Centro (JEE-LC), aprobando el retorno de 17 candidatos, siendo los más conocidos o controversiales los de Daniel Abugattás y Cenaida Uribe (UPP), y Gustavo Pacheco (FIM); mientras que 18 candidatos de las agrupaciones UPP, FIM, Renacimiento Andino, Alianza por el Futuro y Fuerza Democrática quedaron fuera del proceso electoral.
ONPE: Ballots Cannot be Printed Until JNE Submits Complete Lists
Maxwell A. Cameron
March 8, 2006
With the election just over a month away, the delays caused by the various legal disputes over who is eligible to run are threatening the electoral calendar.
The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) insists that it cannot begin to print the ballots for the April 9 election until the National Election Board (JNE) finalizes the list of candidates. The JNE claims that they have sent complete lists for 17 of 25 registered electoral groups, but the ONPE says that this information is neither official (it did not come with the official JNE seal) nor can it be used because the printing presses cannot be stopped and started without adding to the cost of production. The total time it will take to print all the ballots is 15 days. The first set of ballots to be distributed are those that go abroad, and these should be ready to go by March 16.
ONPE points out that there are still potentially legal actions pending. The JNE has eliminated 35 candidates from the various lists. One electoral group–Concertacion Decentralista, led by Susana Villaran–is planning on challenging the decision by the JNE to reject 10 of its congressional candidates. They are preparing to take the issue to the Constitutional Tribunal. One of the eliminated candidates on Villaran’s list is Manuel Dammert, who has held legislative office before. He is a heavy-weight in her slate, and his elimination is a serious blow. He has been eliminated because he did not present documentation that he is on unpaid leave of absence from his teaching job. The law says that public officials have to present evidence they are on unpaid leave, but the JNE is interpreting this to mean universities as well. A spokesperson for Concertacion Decentralista says this is contrary to the law. Moreover, as we have reported previously, the JNE decided to require that candidates provide documentation to this effect in a decision published on February 3, only 5 days before the deadline to register.
The deeper background to this issue is that the ONPE is the body that organizes the elections, and the JNE is the legal authority that resolves disputes arising from the election process. In Peru, these two bodies are separate but have had difficulty coordinating.
For its part, the ONPE is also coming under scrutiny for its apparent inability to enforce party finance rules. 27 of 29 of the nation’s political parties have provided information concerning their financing, and this information will be made public on Friday. The ONPE can use this information to inquire about the sources of funding but it has little enforcement ability. Unless donations come from sources with a legal record, there is little the ONPE can do to verify the accuracy of the information provided by the parties.
Runoff Between Ollanta Humala and Alan Garcia?
Maxwell A. Cameron
March 7, 2006
Alan García and Ollanta Humala have little chance of winning in a runoff against Lourdes Flores. All the available polls suggest that Flores dominates all other candidates in a second round. The reason lies in the very low level of negative rating of Flores. Support for Flores has tended to hover around 35 percent of the electorate nation-wide, and higher in Lima. But very few people say they would never vote for Flores, whereas substantial numbers of voters show strong antipathy to both García and Humala.
It may be that the best chance for García and Humala is to seek to eliminate Flores from contention in the first round. In a runoff between García and Humala, the result is anyone’s guess. Luis Benavente, director of the Grupo de Opinión de la Universidad de Lima, predicts that the final stretch of the campaign will almost certainly involve “negative campaigns” against Flores. Indeed, negative campaigning has already begun. Posters and fliers have begun to appear that present Flores as the candidate of the Banco de Credito. UN spokepersons are drawing parallels with the efforts to tarnish the reputation of Mario Vargas Llosa in 1990 by stressing his links with bankers and the wealthy.
Photo: Expreso, March 6, 2006
Lourdes Flores has complained that these attacks are part of a “dirty war” against her. To this, García has responded by saying “APRA has nothing to do with this [dirty war] for one reason: I say directly that UN represents the right, that it carries within its womb representatives of the bankers…this does not have to be done using a black campaign or with posters.”
Not everyone is of the view that García and Humala would prefer a runoff against each other. In a recent editorial, Augusto Alvarez Rodrich sought to decipher the strategies of candidates based upon whom they would most like to face in a runoff. He concluded that Flores would prefer Humala, Humala would prefer Garcia, and Garcia would prefer Flores.
The daily newspaper Correo, however, reports that APRA strategists are looking at a second round with Humala. Said Jorge del Castillo, Garcia’s right hand man: “I see Lourdes falls 5 percent in a recent poll and Garcia rises 4 percent. In five polls the tendency of Alan Garcia is to rise, and that of Flores is to fall. I am sure we are going into the second round. Until recently, I thought it was with Lourdes. Now I put that in doubt.” The possibility of a runoff between Garcia and Humala is still remote, but you can be sure it is being discussed behind closed doors.
Although Flores has proven unable to generate an upward momentum in her campaign, her performance has, thus far, been formidable. Her best strategy is to hold her lead and not make any major mistakes before April 9. At the same time, she should not be over-cautious. The final weeks will be dynamic, and she will need to be able to respond quickly to deflect attacks–especially from Alan Garcia.