MACRO-REGION REFERENDA FAIL - DECENTRALIZATION

UNCLAS LIMA 004661 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PE SUBJECT: MACRO-REGION REFERENDA FAIL - DECENTRALIZATION PROCESS TO BE RETHOUGHT REF: A. LIMA 4650 ¶B. LIMA 4634 ¶C. LIMA 4633 ¶1. With 90 percent of the ballots counted, the referenda to form five macro-regions failed in 15 of Peru's 16 departments. Only in Arequipa did a majority of voters support the proposal. (Note: Since the other departments considering consolidation with Arequipa, Tacna and Puno, voted the referendum down, they will not form a macro-region. End Note.) The National Office for Electoral Processes (ONPE) came out the only winner as their new team led by Magdalena Chu demonstrated it could hold a large election with minimal problems. ¶2. The decisive margin against forming macro regions surprised observers. In none of the proposed macro regions did the "yes" vote exceed 34 percent. Of all voters, only 24 percent voted in favor, 69 percent voted against, and 7 percent of the ballots were blank or null. (Note: With 90 percent of ballots counted, the "no" votes outweighed the "yes" votes by such a high margin in 15 of the 16 departments that the previous controversy over whether or not to count blank and null ballots became moot -- Ref A. End note.) Even Yehude Simon, the popular Regional President of Lambayeque and a strong proponent of the macro region concept, could not deliver his own department, where the "yes" vote garnered only 19 percent. ¶3. Comment: The fallout from the failure of the referenda remains to be seen. Undoubtedly, the biggest losers were the National Decentralization Council and its President, Luis Thais. They failed to come up with a campaign to educate the public about the possible benefits of decentralization and macro regions. Yehude Simon and other regional presidents who staked a firm position in favor of the macro regions could also lose. Given its landslide defeat, the GOP will need to rethink its approach to decentralization and, most important, how to better educate a skeptical public on this vital issue. End Comment. STRUBLE