HIRING SCANDALS TARNISH CONGRESS'S IMAGE

UNCLAS LIMA 001933

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PE
SUBJECT: HIRING SCANDALS TARNISH CONGRESS'S IMAGE



1. (SBU) Summary: A scandal involving the hiring of
unqualified technical personnel by Unidad Nacional (UN)
parliamentarians has set off a swirl of accusations and
caused one UN coalition partner to bolt. At the same time,
Congress is considering revoking the immunity of nine
(mostly) Peruvian National Party (PNP) representatives for
having physically disrupted the past parliament's debate over
the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) last June. Many observers
suspect that behind these developments lie APRA party
machinations intended to weaken its congressional rivals; if
so, APRA party leaders may have inflicted broader damage than
they intended, and tarnished the image of Congress as a
whole. End Summary.


2. (SBU) The discovery that several UN parliamentarians had
hired staff conspicuously lacking in professional
qualifications has caused a public relations scandal for
Congress. First came the revelation that UN Congresswoman
Elsa Canchaya had hired her family maid as a staffer in her
congressional office, for a monthly salary of more than USD
1K. Then came news that UN Congressman Walter Menchola had
his girlfriend on his congressional staff payroll, but that
she had never showed up to Congress for "work". A flurry of
lesser allegations about other UN and opposition members of
Congress followed.


3. (SBU) In response, the spokesman for the UN congressional
grouping, Congressman Javier Bedoya, accused the government
and the ruling APRA party of targeting the UN in a deliberate
smear campaign. Bedoya insinuated that the government aimed
to undermine the UN's hopes to win the election for the
presidency of Congress this July. (Bedoya had all but
declared himself the UN's candidate for this election.) One
UN insider acknowledged to us that the coalition's two
parliamentarians had clearly abused their positions and
should be sanctioned, but claimed that the APRA had mobilized
the national intelligence services to gain sensitive
information about UN and other opposition representatives and
then used this information for political gain. "That is the
APRA way," he said.


4. (U) Bedoya also accused Rafael Rey, current Minister of
Production and leader of Renovacion Nacional (RN),a fellow
UN coalition member, of working in cahoots with the APRA in
the smear campaign. Minister Rey expressed outrage at
Bedoya's accusations, and in response declared that his party
would formally part from the UN coalition. (Note: The UN
coalition was composed of three parties -- Partido Popular
Cristiano (PPC),Solidaridad Nacional (SN) and RN. The RN
was the smallest of the three parties, with only 2 of the
coalition's 17 Congressional representatives. End Note.)


5. (SBU) In parallel with the revelations about the UN,
Congress will consider revoking the immunity of nine PNP and
UPP representatives -- eight from Peru's Congress and one
from the Andean Congress. On May 30, the congressional
ethics committee agreed to hear the case. At issue is the
alleged illegality of the group's storming of the
parliamentary building last June in an attempt to disrupt the
past Congress's debate of the Free Trade Agreement. (The
group of nine had already been elected to their positions in
Congress but had not yet taken up their functions.) PNP
Congresswoman from Cuzco Hilaria Supa, one of the nine
parliamentarians accused, recently told the Ambassador that
she participated in the action in order to represent the
views of the many rural and indigenous Peruvians who opposed
the FTA and who were unrepresented in the past Congress.

Comment: An APRA Campaign With Unintended Consequences
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6. (SBU) Many observers suspect that APRA machinations are
behind calculated revelations and actions that are intended
to weaken the ruling party's congressional rivals on both
sides of the political spectrum and to ensure it maintains
control over Congress, particularly the crucial position of
president. If true, and there is some evidence for it, APRA
leaders may have inflicted broader damage than they truly
intended. For one, the UN coalition, which has strongly
supported many of the government's initiatives, has lost a
member and is sore at the government about it. Also, the PNP
could gain popular support by being seen as the victims of
government party politicking and emerge stronger from the
ordeal. But most importantly, the image of Congress and of
politicians as a whole has plummeted at a time when
confidence in public institutions is sorely needed to
counteract the latent support for radical solutions in Peru.
Nor, as May 31 headlines highlighting an APRA congresswoman's
alleged hiring of a phantom assistant suggest, are the
scandals likely to spare the APRA for long. In that sense,
the blowback in unintended consequences may not prove worth
the limited gains.
STRUBLE