Politics in Peru

A few of the 2011 Presidential Candidates

This is a blog post I have been debating about writing for some time. The elections are coming up here in Peru and I don't feel like I have a great understanding of what is going on to inform my readers about what is actually going going. Politics and generally confusing anyway, then throw in some Spanish and the usual historical background and BAM! No entiendo (I don't understand...)

And honestly, politics really aren't my thing...but I have been immersed in a country where elections are the first thing on everyone's mind. The elections are on April 10th with the run-off elections coming sometime in June. News about the candidates and the polls and the drama of skeletons coming out of the closest are all over. You can't escape it. So parts of this process have been catching my attention and through asking questions I am learning more.

A few interesting notes that I have learned about the elections in Peru that will maybe give you some insight into what the election time is like here:

• The parties here are not like the U.S. Democrat/Republican etc. etc. There are TONS of different parties and the party names change each year. The party is based around the candidates and often the name of the party is just the name, or initials, of the presidential candidate. So PPK is a party that stand for Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. And the Fuerza party is headed by Keiko Fujimori. There is a Peru Posible party. And many others. Apra is one party that has quite a history here, but I am still unclear about how that all fits in. So most likely the next elections will feature many different political party names, unless the losing candidates decide to run again.
  
• Peruvian citizens are REQUIRED to vote, if they have their national peruvian ID. They have to pay a fee if they don't vote.
  
• There is a dry law that prohibits the sale of alcohol 3 days before the elections. They want everyone to have a clear mind when they are deciding who to vote for, I guess.
  
• The advertisements here are crazy. Not so much in the sense of hateful words about other candidates but it is EVERYWHERE! There are billboards lining all the streets. The signage is so dense in some places that you can barely read the other signs. What's the point?

Just a small taste of what the ads look like. This doesn't even come close to representing the "visual pollution" that is happening on many other streets and in neighborhoods

• Because of the constantly changing parties and candidates, it seems that many Peruvians opinions change constantly throughout the running period. They aren't necessarily tied to one party of one issue that is important. There is less "issues" to vote for and it becomes more about personality and hope for a better future. **This is only one point of view that I heard, but it seems to be the case when you look at updated polls each week**

A recent poll. Shows the percentage change over time. It's a close one, folks!

• Some interesting notes about the candidates...
  
• KEIKO: One of the most controversial candidates, but one of the front runners. She is the daughter of ex-president Fujimori who is now in jail for human rights violations. He pulled the country into a better economic position, but also had other bad practices along the way. So you have strong opinions about Keiko on both sides. If elected, there is a debate as to whether she would release her father from jail. Apparently, she says she is trying to separate herself from her father...but to many, these are empty words.
• Pablo Pedro Kuczynski (PPK): Had an US passport. Many say he is too "North American" to be a Peruvian president. He has given up his US residency to prove his loyalty to Peru. He seems to be popular with the middle class, younger crowd.
• Casteneda: Former Lima mayor. Lots of corrupt practices took place under his mayorship.
  
• I am still learning more about each candidate and hope to understand more of what is going on. But, of course, each candidate has skeletons in the closest that come out before elections. And each person has their positives and negatives. People say it's like choosing between the lesser of two evils. Which candidate is going to hurt us the LEAST...not necessarily the best outlook for the next president..

A comic of the top candidates for the presidential run-off elections

The other day, I received the weekly Living in Peru email newsletter. In this newsletter the editor of the website wrote a little blurb about what he saw happening during this election time. I thought it was very insightful and interesting. So I am just going to copy and past his words onto my blog to give you all an idea of what is happening here. Honestly, it doesn't sound all that
different from an election in the United States. Here's what he has to say:

"Elections are on and who is going to win seems to be impossible to predict, which is what occupies most people's minds these days. Watching TV, listening to the radio, reading the newpapers and checking online, Peru's media is definitely having an ever greater influence on who'll be Peru's next president.

Is Humala the wolf disguised as a lamb? Will Keiko become Peru's first female president, with releasing her father the first thing on her agenda? Will PPK be considered more Peruvian now that he handed over his American passport? Is Toledo able to recuperate his image as an honest and sober candidate? And will Castaneda start to communicate more and be able to leave the shadows of corruption during his time as Lima's mayor?

As a foreign resident to Peru, I can't vote, so I sit here on the sideline listening. What hit me during the 2006 elections was that many people that I spoke to don't have a presidential candidate for whom they are ready to "die for," but rather spoke about who'll do less damage, and who lies less. What strikes me most is people's disillusion because they no longer believe in promises and more promises.

Wouldn't it be nice just to have one great candidate without skeletons in their closet, who will be able to secure better education for everyone, improve our health system, expand the infrastructure, protect the environment, ensure innovation, demolish bureaucracy and most important be able to seriously fight the corruption that continues to be the cancer of this wonderful country's past, presence and future.

Yes, I know that I'm dreaming, but that is still for free!

May the best two candidates for Peru move on to the second round on April 10. If I could vote, I'd be voting for the candidate who will work hardest to make my dream come true. Peru is the land of opportunities these days and should continue to be so in the future too.

¡Viva el Perú!" --Carsten Korch, Chief editor of Living in Peru

Anyway, I really appreciate his insight. And I think it sums up the situation well. I know that this isn't necessarily the most exciting post ever, but it is an important part of this time period of Peru. *I think* I am happy to be here to experience the election first hand. It will give me more insight into what is going on here, once I move on to whatever is next.

Go to living in Peru: Election 2011 archives, for the latest election updates: Click Here

Thanks for reading! :) Sunday Lovin' will be back tomorrow. And I'll post the trivia answers on Sunday :) Have a good weekend, everyone.

"Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason..." --Unknown

LO

VE