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Lourdes Flores says she will not abandon politics and explains her oppositional role (Photo: AFP)

(LIP-wb) -- In an interview with Peru's radio program RPP Noticias, Lourdes Flores Nano, ex-presidential candidate and leader of Peru's conservative "Unidad Nacional" party (UN), denied rumors that she would leave politics behind and return to her academic life.
Flores accepted the job of director of the San Ignacio de Loyola University this week, a position she will assume in December.

She also discarded a second rumor that Raul Diez Canseco, proprietor of the faculty, would use her as a vehicle to resurrect his own political career. Flores said that their relationship will be solely based on academic aspects and that Canseco had no intentions of getting involved in politics again.

Raul Diez Canseco, First Vice President during the Toledo administration, resigned from his position in January 2004, two months after a scandal erupted on allegations that he gave a tax break to a girlfriend's father.

Flores Nano also explained that her party has maintained a "patient, prudent and responsible attitude" in her oppositional role during the first 50 days of Alan Garcia's administration and that UN will strike balance after 100 days of Aprista government.

When asked about her opinion on Garcia's high approval ratings (60%) in recent surveys, she said that all governments begin in spring-like fashion which is a healthy thing.

“We preserved our independence and kept distance when necessary”, she said.

She clarified that Unidad Nacional has in fact criticized some government decisions, for example the elimination of fixed basic telephone fees which, in her opinion, is regulated by a contract and shouldn't be overturned by new government norms.

"Today it’s the phone business, tomorrow it could be anything. When a legal contract exists it must be respected”, she affirmed.

Flores Nano suggested that instead of passing a new law, a new or renegotiated contract benefiting the consumer would have been the proper way.