GOVERNING PARTY CANDIDATE ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF

UNCLAS LIMA 003261

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR PE
SUBJECT: GOVERNING PARTY CANDIDATE ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF
CONGRESS


Sensitive But Unclassified, Please Handle Accordingly


1. (U) On July 26, 2005, the Peruvian Congress elected
Marcial Ayaipoma, the candidate of President Alejandro
Toledo,s ruling Peru Posible (PP) Party, as its new
President, succeeding Antero Flores Araoz. Although Ayaipoma
ran unchallenged, his election proved difficult. The
opposition APRA and Unidad Nacional (UN) parties, who both
supported Flores Araoz last year, chose not to propose a
candidate to replace him. Members from these parties
threatened Ayaipoma,s election by abstaining in their votes.
Ayaipoma needed a majority of the 108 votes cast, and in the
end, he and the PP/FIM governing coalition scraped together
the support needed with a vote of 59 in favor, 44 abstentions
and 5 annulled ballots.


2. (U) Ayaipoma,s first address to Congress as President
reiterated themes he raised in public statements prior to his
election. He called for fiscal responsibility, for support of
the Congressional committees investigating corruption, and
for the elaboration of a 20-point multi-partisan agenda.


3. (SBU) COMMENT: Although this year,s election was not
contested, it was still challenging for the President,s
coalition. There has been speculation that APRA and UN
declined to present a candidate in exchange for future
political considerations. The opposition parties may also be
positioning themselves for the upcoming April elections by
turning the responsibility for the Congressional agenda (and
for its performance) back over to the government.
Nonetheless, Ayaipoma,s election is being seen as a success
for Toledo. END COMMENT.


4. (U) BIO NOTE: Ayaipoma describes himself as a member of
PP,s "hard wing" and has made a name for himself as a party
loyalist. He defended Toledo against charges in the PP
falsification of signatures scandal and has proposed
legislation that would punish party defectors, a problem for
PP. A surgeon and former professor, Ayaipoma,s other
legislative priorities focus on health and education. He has
stated publicly that Peru Posible needs to clean house in
order to reconsolidate and strengthen its political position.
STRUBLE