Peru

J

Communications

Peru’s telephone system has some 853,840 (1993) installations. There are more than 300 radio stations and 8 television stations. In 1997 about 7 million radios and 4 million televisions were in use. In 1994 the country had 12 daily newspapers. Dailies with large circulations included El Comercio, Expreso, Ojo, and La República, all published in Lima.

V

Government

A

Executive and Legislature

Under the Peruvian constitution, effective since 1980, the chief executive and head of state is the president, who is popularly elected to a five-year term, which is renewable. The president is assisted by a Cabinet headed by a prime minister. The 1980 constitution provided for a bicameral legislature, the National Congress, consisting of a senate of 60 elected members (plus former constitutional presidents) and a chamber of deputies with 180 members. In a coup in April 1992, the constitution was suspended and the National Congress dissolved. The 1993 constitution established a unicameral national legislature in place of the former National Congress. The new legislature, the Congress of the Republic, has 120 members, elected for five-year terms.

B

Political Parties

The 2001 legislative elections were dominated by candidates of the Peru Posible party (PP), the American Revolutionary People’s Alliance (APRA), the National Unity party (UN), and the Moralizing Independent Front (FIM).

C

Judiciary

The Peruvian supreme court, which sits in Lima, consists of a president and 12 other judges. The judicature also includes superior courts as well as courts of first instance.

D

Local Government

Local government is exercised through 24 departmental capital councils and 1 constitutional province.