Peru’s first political parties law

Peru has made significant progress towards restoring the credibility of its political institutions and reclaiming civil liberties after the collapse in 2000 of the Fujimori presidency that was tainted by corruption and authoritarianism. A key initiative in the process was the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the adoption by the Peruvian Congress in 2003 of legislation to reform political parties.

“Re-establishing laws to govern and strengthen political parties was critical,” explains Kristen Sample, IDEA’s Head of Mission of the Andean Region, “especially considering that democracy was constantly interrupted.”

The journey began with the 12 main political parties coming together in a working group to develop a common reform agenda and come up with a bill to regulate the parties. Experience of party regulation in other countries – particularly in other Latin American countries – was compiled for the working group by International IDEA and Peru’s Asociación Civil Transparencia. This information formed the basis of several dialogues held among experts and practitioners who were brought together from across Latin America to exchange their knowledge and practical experience with their Peruvian counterparts.

When it came to drafting the legislation, IDEA was requested to provide technical inputs into the construction of the regulations covering the official registration of parties, the supervision by the National Office for Electoral Processes, the internal elections, the limits to private financing and media exposure.

The new law also set a 30 per cent quota for women in both general and internal party elections. “If parties are the gate-keepers of political life, it is important for them to work in a gender-friendly way,” Sample argues. To support the ambition of the law IDEA published a manual in 2008 aimed at Latin American audiences containing 95 best practices for promoting greater participation by women in political life.

Even though passage of the new law on parties in Peru in 2003 was groundbreaking, it is clear that the real work for the parties lies in the implementation phase, as significant internal reforms and modernization efforts are necessary if parties are to fully comply with the law.