Peruvian Congress Votes Confidence in Vizcarra's Cabinet

Peru’s congress approved a confidence vote proposed by President Martin Vizcarra in an attempt to pressure Congress into giving a green light for a referendum on four political and judicial reforms to combat corruption. The 82-22 vote in favor of Vizcarra now forces Congress to pass his judicial and political reforms and marks a stunning victory over the even more conservative opposition party that controls the legislature and that was under enormous pressure to comply.

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The call for a no-confidence vote was justified by a delay of over 40 days in Congress’ debate on the reforms proposed by the executive, which according to the chief of staff for the government Cesar Villanueva, constitutes “a grave and irrational affectation to the national government’s general policy.”

Vizcarra announced the no-confidence vote Sunday as a way to push for the approval of the proposed reforms, but political analysts believe Congress will pass a vote of confidence in the government and continue debating the reforms until Oct 4.  

According to Peruvian law, Congress can debate the no-confidence vote for two sessions.

The call for a no-confidence vote has already generated results. On Tuesday Congress unanimously approved the legal ruling to reform the National Judicial Council (CNM), which would change the name of the institution to Junta Nacional de Justicia, or National Board of Justice, and change the way its members are elected.

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Members of the National Board of Justice will be selected by a special commission led by the public defender, the general attorney, the president of the judicial branch, the comptroller general and the president of the constitutional tribunal through a public contest based on merit. The reform also stipulates that the board will have to present an annual report of its activities before Congress.

This is an important step in the president’s plan to pass political and judicial reforms to tackle corruption through a referendum scheduled for December.

However, three proposed reforms have not received Congress’s constitutionality ruling. The three reforms Vizcarra wants to include in the referendum are: eliminating reelection for legislators, reinstituting a bicameral Congress, and more financial control over political parties.

During his speech before Congress, Villanueva reiterated that “the four projects of constitutional reform are part of an integral project. They are four, not one, not two, not three. Four reforms allow us to start the great change in this country’s history. Thus, we will not accept partial approvals, but the four.”

The government’s proposed reforms are supported by most Peruvians. According to a recent Ipsos poll, 79 percent of Peruvians favor including the reforms in a December referendum.

On Tuesday, Peruvians expressed that support in a massive demonstration in Lima. 

In July, several controversial recordings revealed embezzlement, kickbacks, and corruption within high circuits of Peru’s judicial system prompting massive protests against systemic government corruption.

The scandal led Vizcarra to fire his justice minister, to the dismissal of all members of the National Judicial Council, and the four reforms currently under debate.