| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Congreso de la República / Congress of the Republic |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
9 April 2006 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all the seats of the Congress of the Republic on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
On 9 April 2006
parliamentary elections were held in parallel with presidential elections.
In the last elections in April 2001
no party secured a majority in Congress. The centrist Perú Posible Party
founded in 1999 by outgoing President Mr. Alejandro Toledo
came in first with 45 seats. The leftist American Popular Revolutionary Party (APRA)
also known as the Peruvian Aprista Party
took 28 seats. The right-wing National Unity Party won 15 seats
followed by the Independent Moralizing Front (FIM) with 11 seats
and the centrist Union for Peru (UPP) with six.
Poverty alleviation was a key issue in the 2006 elections
in a country where over 50 per cent of the population reportedly lives below the poverty line
despite economic growth averaging 4.5 per cent in recent years. Prior to the elections
support for the Perú Posible Party was eroded by corruption scandals and workers' perception that they had not benefited from the economic growth. The party's presidential candidate
Mr. Rafael Balaunde Aubry
withdrew his candidature in January 2006.
The UPP supported the candidature of retired army officer Mr. Ollanta Humala
who pledged to nationalize strategic sectors of the economy such as mining and gas and to improve wealth redistribution in the country. The APRA was led by former president Mr. Alan García
who called on young voters to support the APRA's policy to promote workers' rights. He argued that he had learnt from past mistakes during his first presidency in the late 1980s
which had been marred by economic chaos and a 7
000 per cent inflation rate. The National Unity Party
led by former congresswoman Ms. Lourdes Flores
pledged to promote a free-market economy.
Former president Alberto Fujimori's legacy continued to cast a shadow over the 2006 elections. Mr. Fujimori
in exile in Japan since 2000
was detained by the Chilean authorities in November 2005 while trying to return to Peru. His presidential candidacy was rejected by the Peruvian National Electoral Commission in January 2006. The pro-Fujimori Cambio 90 - Nueva Mayoría
which had won four seats in the last elections
formed the Alliance for the Future
whose candidates included Ms. Keiko Fujimori
the former president's daughter.
A total of 88.66 per cent of the 16.5 million registered voters turned out at the polls
which went off peacefully.
The final parliamentary election results showed a major defeat for the ruling Perú Posible Party
which won only two seats
a sharp decrease from 45. The biggest winner was the UPP
which took 45 seats
up from six previously. The APRA and the National Unity Party also made gains
winning 36 and 17 seats respectively. The Alliance for the Future took 13. Ms. Keiko Fujimori was elected with the highest individual score nationwide.
In the presidential race
Mr. García of the APRA defeated Mr. Humala in run-off elections on 4 June. After the elections
the Centre Front
the Perú Posible Party and the National Restoration formed a new party in Congress and allied to the APRA.
The newly-elected parliament met on 26 July and elected Ms. Mercedes Cabanillas Bustamante (APRA) as its new Speaker. On 28 July
Mr. García was sworn in as President of the Republic for the second time. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 9 April 2006 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
16'494'906
14'624'880 (88.66%)
3'871'557
10'753'323 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Union for Peru (UPP) |
|
2'274'797 |
|
|
21.15 |
|
|
| American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) |
|
2'213'623 |
|
|
20.59 |
|
|
| National Unity |
|
1'648'717 |
|
|
15.33 |
|
|
| Alliance for the Future |
|
1'408'069 |
|
|
13.09 |
|
|
| Centre Front |
|
760'261 |
|
|
7.07 |
|
|
| "Perú Posible" Party |
|
441'462 |
|
|
4.11 |
|
|
| National Restoration |
|
432'209 |
|
|
4.02 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
Women elected |
|
|
|
| Union for Peru (UPP) |
45
|
15 |
|
|
|
| American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) |
36
|
8 |
|
|
|
| National Unity |
17
|
5 |
|
|
|
| Alliance for the Future |
13
|
5 |
|
|
|
| Centre Front |
5
|
1 |
|
|
|
| "Perú Posible" Party |
2
|
0 |
|
|
|
| National Restoration |
2
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
85
35
29.17%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- IPU Group (14.06.2006)
- http://www.elecciones2006.onpe.gob.pe/
- http://www.congreso.gob.pe/ (12.03.2009) |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
