The coming general elections in Peru will take place amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused great harm not only to the South American country but also to the rest of the world.
Below are the main events of linked to the current elections.
The measure —made official the following day via Supreme Decree No. 122-2020-PCM— was adopted in compliance with the Electoral Law in order to choose a new president and two vice-presidents, as well as members of Congress and the Andean Parliament for the five-year period (2021-2026).
The electoral race
• Keiko Fujimori (Fuerza Popular)
• Julio Guzman (Partido Morado)
• Veronika Mendoza (Juntos por el Peru)
• Rafael Santos (Peru Patria Segura)
• Alberto Beingolea (Partido Popular Cristiano)
• Daniel Salaverry (Somos Peru)
• Pedro Castillo (Peru Libre)
• Marco Arana (Frente Amplio por Justicia, Vida y Libertad)
• Yonhy Lescano (Accion Popular)
• Ollanta Humala (Partido Nacionalista Peruano)
• Andres Alcantara (Democracia Directa)
• Cesar Acuña (Alianza para el Progreso)
• Hernando de Soto (Avanza Pais)
• Jose Vega (Union por el Peru)
• Daniel Urresti (Podemos Peru)
• Rafael Lopez Aliaga (Renovacion Popular)
• George Forsyth (Victoria Nacional)
• Ciro Galvez (Renacimiento Unido Nacional)
On March 5, during a plenary session, the
JNE decided to accept the appeal of the three candidates running for the Presidency of the Republic, who had been excluded from the electoral race by resolution of the Special Election Board (JEE) Lima Center.
The candidacy of Nidia Vilchez (Partido Aprista) was withdrawn by the organization itself, whereas that of Fernando Olivera (Frente de la Esperanza 2021) was declared inadmissible.
According to the electoral schedule, March 12 is the deadline for the exclusion of candidates because of omission of information from affidavits, resumes, or due to handouts given to voters.
Subsequently, a candidacy could only be excluded due to the applicant's legal situation until April 10 —one day before the general elections' first round is held.
Campaign in times of pandemic
The appearances of presidential and congressional candidates have also increased on the different digital channels offered by the media beyond the traditional interviews on open or cable TV, as well as on radio stations.
However, presidential candidates —in particular— have not completely suppressed their public appearances and visits to the country's interior regions.
On some occasions, their presence has generated overcrowdings that have put their health, as well as that of supporters and reporters at risk.
Faced with this situation, the
National Elections Board (JNE) specified that it did not have the capacity to monitor or sanction candidates/political parties that violate the measures aimed at preventing coronavirus infections.
For its part, the Council of State agreed to immediately implement a health protocol for activities related to the electoral campaign for the 2021 general elections.
The task was entrusted to the Ministry of Health (Minsa), which on January 31 published the health protocol within the framework of the electoral campaign by which candidates and political parties are required to prioritize virtual dissemination mechanisms for their campaign-related activities.