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(LIP-wb) -- Enrique Mendoza, president of Peru's National Election Jury (JNE), informed that the regional/municipal elections will not be repeated in jurisdictions where vandals attacked voting premises and destroyed ballots and other electoral material.

Mendoza said in a press conference that instead of another election “lawsuits will be filed against the instigators”.

The JNE stated emphatically it will not accept violence as a pressure instrument, especially where violent protests where triggered by certain candidates who did not respect the rules of democracy.

On the other hand, Magdalena Chú, chairwoman of the executing National Office for Election Processes (ONPE), declared the actual decision to annul elections and to summon for a repeat is the responsibility of the regional election offices (JEE) in those locations where disturbances took place.

Chú added that as a result of the erupted violence 905 ballots were destroyed.

According to Interior Minister Pilar Mazzetti, 270 protesters were arrested by the National Police in 115 violent incidents registered in three days after last Sunday's elections.

Perpetrators who attacked members of the Armed Forces and police troops would face possible sentences between 5 and 12 years in jail.

- related articles -

- President Garcia orders use of weapons to stop post-election riots (LIP, Nov. 23, 2006)

- Peru: Protesters attack City Hall in Puente Piedra after election (LIP, Nov. 22, 2006)

- Mayor's office in San Martin, Peru set on fire (LIP, Nov. 20, 2006)

- read all articles about the elections

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(LIP-wb) -- Ollanta Humala, leader of Peru's Nationalistic Party (PNP), admitted Wednesday morning that his proposals failed to appeal and attract voters in last Sunday's regional and municipal elections because they were based on expectations that were unreal, meaning not to differentiate between Sunday's regional elections and the national/presidential elections held last April.

In his opinion, his strategies were based too much on the presidential elections in which his political grouping obtained more than 47% of the national electorate, without noticing that in the regional process, local parties and independent initiatives are superior and have the advantage.

“Technically we have been affected like most political parties. We participated in 24 regions and we haven't won in any of them”, he said.

He acknowledged that ending the alliance with the Union por el Peru (UPP) party did not play in the favor of both political movements. According to Humala, in the presidential elections the PNP united with UPP because his party wasn't enrolled. But for last Sunday, both parties were competing, therefore the "alliance had to be formal".

He maintained the fundamental problem was the proposed time frame set by the National Office of Election Processes (ONPE), which gave little time to establish an alliance. Evidently his Nationalistic party did not have enough time to position itself in Peru's regions and municipalities with a new symbol and program.

“We cannot determine the number of nationalistic votes that went away since ending the alliance with UPP”, he stressed and added that the PNP is not a political corpse but a project in progress.

Humala emphasized that the PNP is a party with weaknesses because it was founded only ten months ago. But "organizational and structural problems will be solved by 2010 and 2011," he concluded.

(LIP-wb) -- Peruvian president Alan Garcia Perez confessed today he cried last Sunday evening after watching the first results of the regional and municipal elections and to realize that his APRA had lost the race for mayor of Trujillo, a traditional bastion and birthplace of the party in northern Peru.

“Yes, I admit it. I have cried Sunday night because I never thought that this was possible. I never thought we would lose in our cradle and burial place of Victor Raul Haya de la Torre (founder of APRA). It's a stab to the heart”, he expressed.

Immediately after he declared that “at some time I am going to recover Trujillo, even if I personally have to declare my candidacy to the city's mayor's office”.

This past Sunday, all Peruvians went to the ballot boxes to choose to their new local and regional authorities. In both cases, independent movements were the clear winners over the established national parties, including the APRA how may have taken the heaviest losses.

In Trujillo, the Aprista candidate for the city's mayor wa rejected by the popular vote. The unofficial results gave the edge to César Acuña of the movement "Alliance For Progress" with an impressive 55,9 percent of the votes. The APRA's defeat in Trujillo has been a historic one after occupying the mayor's armchair for four decades.

However, later Garcia said that despite results neither the APRA  nor other parties have been defeated. He maintained that “by the municipal nature of the elections”, citizens are inclined to choose independent candidates in their localities.

He also denied that his ex-opponent in the presidential elections, Ollanta Humala, “has been eliminated” after his Nationalistic Party received an equally low support. He maintained that the opposition leader will continue having a national presence in politics because “until this moment he does not have a challenging contender within his nationalistic project”.

(LIP-wb) -- The disappointing results of last Sunday's regional and municipal elections in Peru served as an eye-opener for some of the leaders of the ruling APRA party of President Alan Garcia. They recognize the slap on the face and admit that several errors were made during the campaign. However, there are also some - like Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo - who refuse to accept that the party has stumbled.

Even though del Castillo admitted that the numbers the National Office for Election Processes (ONPE) is releasing are not those the APRA had hoped for - at least 9 of the party's previous 12 regional governments were lost -, although he sees some sort of consolation in the fact that the main opposition force, the Nationalistic party of Ollanta Humala, has not won in any region.

Thus, the prism used by the head of Peru's ministerial cabinet to review the results leads to statements such as this: “The Peruvian Aprista party is the only party that remains as a party of national dimension. Some other parties have virtually disappeared, others are becoming strictly watchdog organizations”, he commented.

Despite the setback for the Aprista Party, del Castillo insisted that the president still "has more than 60 percent approval." The important thing "is that people see clear leadership in the president," he told reporters from the "Patio of Honor" at the Government Palace.

But evidently nobody, not even the most optimistic party members, can be satisfied with the results, including del Castillo. However, he abstains from showing any signs of weakness in lieu of upcoming meetings with a series of the newly elected regional governors who have their own agenda.

“One region more or less doesn't distract us from our dream" he justified, trying to settle the subject and to avoid hearing any more questions.

Javier Bedoya, spokesman for the conservative National Unity coalition led by Lourdes Flores, maintained that the electoral defeat of the government party falls to the Prime Minister as well as to the Chief of State, because it reinforces the impression that the APRA is not nothing without Garcia.

But there are also some leading Apristas who are more drastic in their analysis. For example, th party's faction leader in Parliament Javier Velasquez Quesquén admitted that the party leadership has chosen on occasion the wrong candidates.

The person in charge of the internal selection process, Secretary General Mauricio Mulder, obviously failed to adopt more democratic ways in this aspect. However, he maintained that the party of founder Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre continues to be the first force on a national level.

On more than one ocassion regional party supporters denounced irregularities in the designation of candidates for local and municipal governments, and accused the national party leadership of imposing candidates that did not count on the support of regional party bases.

A similar analysis made congressman Luis Alva Castro, who maintained that his party committed errors before and throughout the elections. This situation will have to be evaluated internally by the Aprista leadership.

“In the end, the errors committed internally during the campaign have reduced to us to this situation”, he referred and, unfortunately, these mistakes and the “internal mess” caused that the Apra lost the election for the mayor's office in the city of Trujillo for the first time in 40 years. The capital city of the La Libertad region in northern Peru is the party's cradle in the land of Haya de la Torre.

However, the party's optimists are swiftly adding that the triumph of Jose Murguía in the race for governor of La Libertad demonstrates that the "party of the star" has not lost its solid support in the country's North.

(text by Alejandro Castro Backus, Peru21.com)

(LIP-wb) -- Settlers obviously not accepting the possible re-election of a mayor in the Peruvian region of San Martin, set his house on fire and burned a large chunk of electoral material early this morning, 12 hours after the voting stations closed.

Mayor Humberto Puelles Olivera of the "Movement New Amazon" ran for another term in office in Campanilla, located in the Mariscal Cáceres province, south of the jungle city of Tarapoto.

Other disturbances were registered in Pisco where apparently sore losers broke in and damaged the City Hall in rejection to the electoral triumph of independent candidate Julio Onuñez.

In Calamarca, region of La Libertad, a group of people forcefully entered voting stations and destroyed several ballots.

A number of smaller incidents were reported from other parts of the country.

(LIP-wb) -- Carlos Tapia, spokesman of Peru's "Partido Nacionalista Peruana" (PNP) led by ex-presidential candidate Ollanta Humala, said they were not defeated in yesterday's regional and municipal elections and added that President Alan Garcia's APRA party is “the great loser”.

Tapia emphasized that just after nine months of existence the Nationalistic Party has reached an important representation on a provincial and regional level, after winning more than hundred mayorships and twenty provincial races.

“Nationwide we have won between 120 to 150 electoral races for local mayors and we are going to win between 15 to 17 provinces. Certainly this doesn't meet all our expectations, but we have an important national representation at a provincial and municipal level”, he said last night, although official results are not yet known.

In declarations to the Andina news agency, Tapia commented these elections demonstrate that all of Peru's traditional parties have not managed to represent the population outside the capital of Lima.

"The great loser is the APRA, a party that exists for 80 years. It is unfair to compare us with a party governing the country and was governing twelve Peruvian regions until yesterday. Losing the elections in the city of Trujillo, the party's birthplace, is a moral defeat for the Apra and has serious repercussions”, he referred.

Tapia pointed out that none of the established political parties can say they “have won”, because overall 55 percent of the votes went to independent groups or regional political movements.

“We think that we have advanced as a new political force”, he concluded.

Meanwhile, President Alan Garcia congratulated the re-elected mayor of Lima, Luis Castaneda Lossio, but prefers to stay neutral as for the rest of the results throughout the country.

In a first statement, Lourdes Flores Nano considered the results have opened "a wonderful stage for her party's development" and emphasized the virtual triumphs of Unidad Nacional in Ica and Piura.

“I believe this election demonstrates that there is progress in urban Peru. There is a popular expectation of change which, in some places, is being pronounced in our favor”, she added.

She stressed that the endorsement given to Lima's mayor Luis Castaneda Lossio is a well deserved recognition of wonderful municipal administration and now they must assume the commitment to the voters.

When being asked about the APRA's defeat in Trujillo, she said when she was visiting the city last Tuesday she felt the winds of change. “Truijillo is evidence of a changing Peru towards success and prosperity. In Trujillo, today is the day of agro-exporters, small companies, and the future”, she said.

ONPE announced that the official results (100% of votes counted in every district, city and region) will be known in about 15 days.

- related websites -

- ONPE (official results)

- El Comercio

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Photo: Reuters

(LIP-wb) Peruvians voted new regional governments and mayors on Sunday and exit poll results indicate that independent candidates are the winners throughout the country while Peru's established parties suffered disappointing losses.

First indications are that the mayor of Lima, Luis Castaneda Lossio (Unidad Nacional), has been re-elected, although he did not gain nearly as many votes (48-50%) as many expected. His most important challenger Humberto Lay (Restauracion National) gained about 16%.

(see chart for Lima's mayorship here -link, El Comercio-)

Candidates for the conservative Unidad Nacional (UN) alliance of Lourdes Flores will also win most of the 43 districts that conform Lima's metropolitan area, nevertheless the party lost some of the heavy support it received during the presidential elections in April.

Antonio Meier and Manuel Masías will be the new mayors of Lima's districts San Isidro and Miraflores, respectively, while Alberto Tejada and Luis Dibós will continue as mayors for the districts San Borja and La Molina.

According to the polls, Meier, - the father of the renowned Peruvian actor/singer Christian Meier - obtained 43.2% of the votes, and Manuel Masías (50%, UN) will be the new mayor of Miraflores, beating current mayor Fernando Andrade (26%, Somos Peru) by a large margin. Andrade was obviously hit hard by TV reports 2-3 months before the election, which showed video footage of his brother Gustavo Andrade receiving bribes in exchange for business licenses.

In San Borja, Alberto Tejada (Democracy with Values) was re-elected (47%).

President Alan Garcia's APRA party won the elections in the northern region of La Liberdad but suffered a major disappointment by losing the mayorship in the capital of Trujillo, traditionally the party's main stronghold in the country. In all possibility José Murgia (APRA) will become governor of La Libertad and the new mayor of Trujillo will be César Acuña of the "Alianza para el Progreso" party.

Ollanta Humala's Nationalistic Party probably suffered the most. Although his candidate Simon Balbuena will be the new mayor of Arequipa, the "White City" in Peru's south, the party suffered heavy losses throughout Peru's southern and Andean areas, where Humala gained most of his votes in the presidential elections last April.

In the region of Lambayeque, Yehude Simon will govern for a second term, and the governor of the Arequipa region will be Juan Manuel Guillén of the local party "Tradition and Future".

Alex Kouri was re-elected as regional president of Callao and Felix Moreno will be the city's mayor.

Other races are too close to call.

Exit poll results in other Limean districts:

• Lince: Fortunato Príncipe 42,4 %, César Gonzáles 30,0%, Hernán de la Fuente 9,3%
• Magdalena del Mar: Francis Allison 66,4%, Juno Mannarelli 11,11%, Jorge Vergel 10%
• San Miguel: Salvador Heressi 71,8%, Robert Pando 12,3%, Oscar Romanville 7,1%
• Surquillo: Gustavo Sierra 37,7%, José Huamaní 27,8%, David Carpio 13,9%
• Ate: Oscar Benavides 29,6%, Juan Dupuy 18,5%, Gerardo Chiclla 18,4%
• Rímac: Víctor Leyton 36,4%, Gloria Jaramillo 23,5%, Luis Beltrán 9.3%
• San Luis: Fernando Durand 32,5%, Ricardo Castro 20,5%, Víctor Alegría 13,1%
• Chorrillos: Augusto Miyashiro 66,4%, Dinas Concha 7,9%, Elsa Neyra 6,6%
• San Juan de Miraflores: Edilberto Quispe 21,3%, Adolfo Ocampo 21,2%, Paulo Hinostroza 12,7%
• Jesús María: Luis Ocrospoma 33,8, Carlos Bringas 31,0%, Livia Flores 12,5%
• Pueblo Libre: Rafael Santos 36,1%, Ángel Tachinno 26,0%, Jhonel Leguía 15,1%
• Breña: José Gordillo 28,8%, Carlos Solano 25,3%, Carlos Sandoval 7,7%

-- more updates and first official results soon --

(LIP-wb) -- A total of 16,594,824 Peruvian citizens are called to submit their vote at nationwide 4,184 voting stations with a total of 90,000 ballot boxes in tomorrow's regional and municipal elections.

Peru's National Office for Electoral Procedures (ONPE) informed in an official press release that 8,341,021 (50.3%) voters are male and 8,253,803 (49.7%) are female.

The number of first time voters is 480,888 (2,90%) of which 242,225 are women.

The ONPE also informed that 29% of all voters are between 20 and 29 years old; 24.3% are between 30 and 39; 18.1 % between 40 and 49; 12% in their fifties, and 7.2 percent in their sixties.

In Peru voting is mandatory for citizens between 18 and 70 years old. People who don't have a proper attestation of a valid excuse, for example from a doctor or a flight ticket, will have to pay a fine. Citizens older than 70 still have the right to vote but are no longer required. 

(LIP-wb) -- A total of 212 candidates participating in the upcoming Peruvian regional and municipal elections next Sunday provided false data in their curriculum vitae, denounced the adviser to the chairman of Peru's National Election Jury (JNE), Jose Echevarría Escribens.

In an interview with Peruvian TV "Channel N" he advanced that his institution has notified the office of the Attorney General which is now in charge of dealing with these particular cases before Sunday.

Echevarría added the false data corresponds in general to criminal records, academic titles and work experience.

Last week, JNE, Peru's highest electoral supervision agency, reported 4,091 infractions of Peruvian election laws.

Most infractions (84%) are related to improper or disallowed electoral propaganda.

- related articles -

- Castaneda Lossio faces his critics at second electoral TV debate (LIP, Nov. 14, 2006)

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(LIP-wb) -- As expected, Luis Castañeda Lossio, current mayor of Lima running for a second term at City Hall, was confronted by criticism from his challengers during last night's TV debate broadcast from the auditorium of the University of Lima.

The debate titled “Lima en tus manos” (Lima is in your hands), organized by the Civil Association "Transparencia" and the University of Lima, counted on the presence of eleven candidates to the city of Lima's highest office, with the exception of Humberto Lay (Restauracion Nacional), probably Castañeda's most important challenger. Recent polls showed that Castañeda his the heavy favorite, counting on a voter support of 62%.

The candidates centered their presentations on topics such as security, transportation, health, social development, and transparency.

Castañeda gave a review of his main accomplishments, emphasizing the improvements in infrastructure, renovations of public schools and sports facilities, new "Solidaridad" hospitals, as well as the beginning of a program that provides better housing for Lima's poorer areas and shanty towns.

When talking about a possible second term he pointed out a new road design that includes the construction of new express ways and arterial routes. His cabinet has already given concessions for a new freeway system connecting Chorrillos in the South with Comas in Lima's North, and an electric train system.

He also emphasized the improvements in citizen security and defended the ornamental installations at main squares and parks,  saying they are “greatest and most beautiful in the world and that the city didn't have to pay a single centimos for it”.

Nevertheless, contenders like Benedicto Jiménez (APRA), Gino Costa (Somos Peru), Gonzalo Garcia (Peruvian Nationalistic Party), and Gustavo Masa (Accion Popular) criticized his administration and warned of  presumed overvaluations and lack of transparency.

Jiménez told Castañeda: “Sure, you have been Lima's gardener and administrator, but what our city needs is a leader”. Instead of assuming the role of a regional president for the capital, he has dedicated himself to cement and gardens.

Gino Costa criticized that a large rift exists between initial cost estimates and real costs. “Good manager? Good constructor? Something smells bad in the metropolitan city of Lima. What else is there to say about this mayor? ”, he questioned.

Gonzalo Garcia also voiced his criticism, elaborating that the mayor spent 52 million Soles (US$ 16 mln.) in ornamental works and more than 2 million Soles in the erection of posters and plates with his name on it, while many citizens don't have water or electricity.

Gustavo Masa was even more severe in his judgment of Castañeda. He said the mayor has used the ones in need by putting the name of his party in "Solidaridad" hospitals.