Green light for a Referendum on the FTA
From “La República” (Perú) April 8, 2006
Yesterday the National Elections Court took the first step in the process of requiring a popular referendum for approval of an FTA with the US.
With resolution Nº 372-2006, which was published in "El Peruano" the Elections Court, accepted the citizens initiative which requires a referendum on the FTA. The resolution was submitted after 59,887 signatures were declared valid from petitions which were submitted by the movement 'FTA not this one.'
Now it is up to the Congress to act on the behalf of thousands of farmers and citizens who mobilized to take their signatures to the Elections Court.
In spite of this effort, yesterday the president of the Congress, Marcial Ayaipoma, said that "the FTA is extremely technical" and by a referendum would politicize the issue even more. "I think that a referendum is a very distant alternative, and there is no precedent of this type for approving an international treaty."
Ayaipoma went on to say that after Holy Week the ministers of Agriculture, Health, Production and Foreign Commerce and Tourism would once again explain to Congress the status of the commercial agreement.
Once the document is signed in Washington by the Executives of each country, it would go to the Commission of Exterior Relations of the Congress, where their majority or minority reports would be submitted to the full Congress for debate, which would last a month and a half.
Miguel Jugo, executive director of the Association for Human Rights, an organization which participated in the collection signatures said it would be "grave" if President Alejandro Toledo Manrique went to Washington and signed the FTA with the US. "The popular consultation is critical. Congress is obligated to look at this issue and approve the referendum."
Xavier Barron, a congressperson from the National Unity Party affirmed that the referendum is a tool "for those who are opposed to the FTA" and reaffirmed the position of his party, which is that the actual Congress should approve the treaty. (The first round of national elections are being held on Sunday April 9). On the other hand, a legislator from the Union for Peru, Michael Martinez said that the initiative should be approved by the Congress, so that the "voice of the people is heard". The issue of a referendum should be included on the ballot in the event of a second round of presidential elections.
Sources from the Ministry of External Commerce and Tourism who were asked, responded that they would not comment on this theme for the moment.