Promoting dialogue and channels for reform in Peru

In the annual LatinoBarómetro survey, Peruvian institutions have long had the lowest public approval rating in the region. Congress especially has little legitimacy, although paradoxically it is the institution that is needed to remedy the problem through giving effect to reform. Given public scepticism toward Congress and the legislature’s difficulty in promoting institutional changes, who can push change along?

To address this situation, International IDEA has intensified efforts at promoting dialogue among various stakeholders interested in substantial political reform. The task is not easy, and sometimes seems bogged down by scandals that are magnified by the media. In early 2009, International IDEA convened a meeting of legislators from different parties to discuss issues of concern. Those parliamentarians involved, continued the dialogue by forming a Multi-Party Group of Legislators.

The group agreed that it will be difficult to make progress on any reform unless Congress regains its credibility in the public eye. The participants decided to discuss specific measures to improve the legislature’s performance. Thanks to this group’s discussions and contributions, in late 2009, International IDEA was tasked with submitting two documents to Congress: a proposal for new Congressional Rules and a Manual for Public Hearings.

For the former, International IDEA dusted off a piece of draft legislation that had been shelved in Congress and presented it to the Multi-Party Group for discussion. With the help of the legislator who drafted the bill originally and suggestions from the group’s members, International IDEA developed a document for Congress. One underlying proposal in the document is to strengthen party caucuses to improve legislators’ collective performance. The Manual for Public Hearings grew out of pilot hearings sponsored enthusiastically by one of the legislators participating in the Multi-Party Group.

International IDEA also addressed reform issues at other levels with party leaders, academics and public officials. To broaden the dialogue beyond Parliament, work has been done virtually. The Institute created a Google Group on reform issues, based on a seminar that would bring together various interested people. Progressively, a collection of documents was made available through this platform, which also provided a discussion forum for participants. Based on this experience, International IDEA has proposed refining these virtual media, especially for use with young people.

In the area of reform for gender mainstreaming, International IDEA worked with other public agencies, including the Ministry of Women and Social Development during the first quarter of 2009 and the Ombudsman’s Office in the past few months.