• Statement by Commissioner C. Patten on elections in Peru
• Second public declaration of the EU Election Observation Mission to Peru.
• The EU Mission to Peru gave a first statement on the electoral process in a press conference held Friday, 9 of March.(13-3-01)
• The Head of the EOM of the EU in Peru released to the local press her first impressions.
  ( 6-3-01 )

Lima, 28 March – Second public declaration of the EU Election Observation Mission to Peru.

They express the conviction that the difficulties, which have appeared during the first trial run of the electoral software system, will find a solution in the time remaining and will not endanger the correct conclusion of the electoral process. The mission also expressed their hope that the level of the political debate in the public media may increase during these last days of the campaign.

After more than one month of observation in the country, Mr. Bartolomé Clavero, Deputy Head of the EU Mission to Peru, together with the Legal and Electoral Advisor Mr. Fanger and the Media Advisor Mr. Malnati, presented during a press conference, the second statement of the Mission.

The EOM stressed primarily the position, taken by the Peruvian interim Government, of total respect of the Constitution and of strict impartiality toward the elections. They also underlined the efforts undertaken by the public authorities in charge of the organisation of the electoral process to ensure that the elections can take place under conditions that respect the free expression of the popular will.

The ONPE (National Office for Electoral Processes) and the JNE (National Jury for Elections) established a new computerised counting system, but during its first test (on 25 March) some problems were detected in the software; the EOM expressed their confidence in the fact that in the time remaining the two authorities will take the necessary steps to ensure the good operation of the system.

The European observers noted that the armed forces keep up maintaining a perfectly neutral role in the political debate, but, on the other hand, it must be stressed that the army continues to maintain its logistic support and the security functions.

The twelve Long Term Observers, deployed in Lima-Callao and in five departments countrywide (La Libertad, Loreto, Ayacucho, Arequipa and Puno), are now providing the mission with the informations:

• The distribution of the ONPE material to the regional offices and the appointment and training of the polling stations staff, is well on the way, with only some minor delays in the mountain zones of Puno and La Libertad, due to climatic conditions.
• The civic and voters’ education program is progressing, with some minor problems due to the scarcity of staff; in some poor zone has been noted the potential danger of influencing the vote by giving material presents.

The media coverage is marked by a plurality of opinions and a numerical breadth, but the quality of the political debate, as to its programmatic content, remains rather limited.

Journalists of all major media in the country were present at the press conference, which was transmitted live integrally by the TV Channel "Canal N", and reported by all main electronic and printed media.