REGIONAL ELECTIONS: OAS CONFIDENT OF SMOOTH PROCESS

UNCLAS LIMA 004407 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PE SUBJECT: REGIONAL ELECTIONS: OAS CONFIDENT OF SMOOTH PROCESS REF: A. LIMA 4366 ¶B. LIMA 4271 ¶1. Peruvians will return to the polls on November 19 to elect regional presidents and provincial and district mayors. The OAS Election Observation Mission (EOM) will send 33 observers (including 9 U.S. Embassy volunteers) around the country to witness the process and receive any citizen complaints, should they arise. OAS Deputy Mission Chief Betilde Munoz told Poloffs they expect the election to proceed without major irregularities. ¶2. Munoz identified three pre-election concerns. First, the OAS has shared complaints that some political party lists fail to meet gender and youth quotas with Peruvian electoral authorities. (Note: A new law requires that at least 20 percent of candidates on party lists be between the ages of 18 and 29, while an earlier law aimed at ensuring a minimum participation of women requires that at least 30 percent of candidates be of each gender. End Note.) Munoz said that the electoral authority in charge of resolving legal issues (JNE) deferred these complaints to the decentralized Specialized Elections Board (JEE),and it remained unclear how they will resolve these complaints. Second, the OAS mission has received reports that some parties intend to send voters to specific municipalities where elections are close in an attempt to tip the balance. Third, the OAS has heard rumors of narcotraffickers intimidating residents from voting in coca-growing areas. ¶3. Despite these concerns, Peruvian election authorities and the OAS believe the elections will be free, transparent, and generally problem-free. STRUBLE