Congressional Top Ten: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the First Phase of Alejandro Soto's Administration | Political Control, Conflicts of Interest, Ethical Shields | principle

Administration Alejandro Soto in front Congress president post Investigations into Soto and his board of directors have been fraught with controversy, including ethics shields, conflicts of interest, questionable laws, open mics and questionable changes to election rules. But not everything is negative, as an important regulation like the abolition of child marriage was approved.

1. Abuse of Control: The Case of Zoraida and JNJ

If Congress has a clear agenda, it is regulation, and particularly with certain individuals or institutions. For example, against the National Judicial Board, they filed six motions, including requests for instructions, investigations and removal of its members (still pending). The paper revealed that the Congress's sights were set on the eight state bodies, mainly against the electoral bodies.

Apart from this, the Valkyrie operation is the subject of an alleged network investigation in the Office of the National Prosecutor, which revealed political negotiations with legislators from around eight benches seeking the disqualification of former National Prosecutor Zoraida Avalos for political purposes.

2. Leader and group question

Congress leader Alejandro Soto has accumulated five investigations against him. One of them has already been filed with the Parliamentary Ethics Commission. The third vice president, Roselli Amuruz, was embroiled in a scandal after attending a party where one person died in a shooting, and then up to eight people were hired in different parts of Congress by people close to Paul Garcia, with whom Amuruz was present. Relationship, discovered.

Meanwhile, Second Vice President Waldemar Cerron is being investigated along with other members of Perú Libre for allegedly committing money laundering through illegal monetary contributions to their party, the same money used to fund their campaigns.

3. Departure of the Nano: Death of the First Vice President

In the early hours of September 29, the death of then First Vice President Hernando Guerrera García was announced. Fuerza came to Arequipa to participate in the popular assemblyman Perumin.

His seat is occupied by Fernando Rospigliosi.

4. Multiplication of additional commissions

In the administration of the president of Congress, Alejandro Soto, the standard of his predecessors is being repeated: the creation of extraordinary commissions. The proliferation of this practice almost doubles the number of normal groups (24) and calls for an expenditure of more than S/8 million over three years. El Comercio identified that out of the 22 extraordinary commissions, almost half (10) have changed principals.

On ordinary commissions, the newspaper revealed that only four legislators met enough profile to head the assigned committees. Five legislators did not have a university degree when they headed their group.

5. Ethical shields, a legislative constant

Although the Ethics Commission's technical secretariat has issued statements calling for Congress to investigate or authorize it, the committee's votes and plenary have pushed in the opposite direction. According to El Comercio, the current legislature, in two years of administration, has more than 25 safeguards in cases of ethical misconduct.

Of Mocasaltos' 10 cases, only one congresswoman has been suspended to date: Maria Cordero. The rest of the cases progress at a snail's pace.

6. Open microphones: Lizarzaburu and virtual

Fujimori heard congressman Juan Carlos Lizarzapuru leave his microphone open and make offensive references to congresswomen, particularly his colleague on the bench, Patricia Juarez. The member of parliament has been criticized and his own party has subjected him to disciplinary action. The Legislature opposes attendance.

7. Conflicts of Interest: Legislating in one's own interest

Throughout the last Legislature, Congress has been the main beneficiary of a series of beverage programs revealed. A more infamous case known as the 'Soto Law', which referred to the approval of Act 31751, was used as a strategy to avoid more than eight years in prison for fraud.

But that's not all. The Plenary approved a provision barring ONPE from collecting election fines of more than S/1 million. Thanks to this, legislator Alejandro Muñante was spared a fine of almost S/50,000.

Paul Gutierrez (Perú Libre) had to withdraw his proposal to modify the grounds for exempting alimony payments because the member of parliament's financial contribution to his daughter was found to be invalid. A report from the “Panorama” project revealed that the member of parliament, Miguel Chichea, managed a meeting in Sunat for consultation in support of his family company.

8. One law to highlight: Abolition of child marriage

Although an isolated stance by legislator José María Balcázar (Perú Bicentenario) provoked anger, the full session of Congress approved the initiative to expressly prohibit the marriage of minors under 18 years of age, thus firmly closing the doors to legal interpretation – practice – to cover up cases of violence against minors, especially girls.

The regulation gained recognition due to the fact that it also highlighted the problem of child abuse through the campaign El Comercio: Growing up without fear is a right, through the Adequate Child Abuse campaign. Every year, nearly 30 unions involving minors under the age of 16 were registered.

9. Dangerous laws dominate the holistic agenda

In the last part of the Legislature, the full House stepped on the accelerator and approved the harmful regulations. The rule setting a short time frame for the effective cooperation process is highly questionable as it affects the success of the process and creates an incentive for criminals to cooperate with justice.

The full session also approved an extension to 2025 for teachers to obtain a teaching degree. Likewise, they changed the Forest Act, which was seen by environmental and indigenous organizations as a serious setback in the fight against deforestation in the Amazon.

10. Political Reform: Reforms or Counter-Reforms?

Last November, and with 93 votes, the plenary approved a formula that restores the bicameral system in Parliament, and restores the number of legislative re-elections. The formula should be approved in 2024.

The National Representation has given the green light to do away with primaries, which has drawn questions from various departments specializing in electoral issues.