US embassy cable - 05LIMA4661

UNCLAS LIMA 004661 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, PE 
SUBJECT: MACRO-REGION REFERENDA FAIL - DECENTRALIZATION 
PROCESS TO BE RETHOUGHT 
 
REF: A. LIMA 4650 
 
     B. LIMA 4634 
     C. LIMA 4633 
 
1. With 90 percent of the ballots counted, the referenda to 
form five macro-regions failed in 15 of Peru's 16 
departments.  Only in Arequipa did a majority of voters 
support the proposal. (Note: Since the other departments 
considering consolidation with Arequipa, Tacna and Puno, 
voted the referendum down, they will not form a macro-region. 
End Note.)  The National Office for Electoral Processes 
(ONPE) came out the only winner as their new team led by 
Magdalena Chu demonstrated it could hold a large election 
with minimal problems. 
 
2. The decisive margin against forming macro regions 
surprised observers.  In none of the proposed macro regions 
did the "yes" vote exceed 34 percent.  Of all voters, only 24 
percent voted in favor, 69 percent voted against, and 7 
percent of the ballots were blank or null.  (Note:  With 90 
percent of ballots counted, the "no" votes outweighed the 
"yes" votes by such a high margin in 15 of the 16 departments 
that the previous controversy over whether or not to count 
blank and null ballots became moot -- Ref A. End note.) Even 
Yehude Simon, the popular Regional President of Lambayeque 
and a strong proponent of the macro region concept, could not 
deliver his own department, where the "yes" vote garnered 
only 19 percent. 
 
3. Comment: The fallout from the failure of the referenda 
remains to be seen.  Undoubtedly, the biggest losers were the 
National Decentralization Council and its President, Luis 
Thais.  They failed to come up with a campaign to educate the 
public about the possible benefits of decentralization and 
macro regions.  Yehude Simon and other regional presidents 
who staked a firm position in favor of the macro regions 
could also lose.  Given its landslide defeat, the GOP will 
need to rethink its approach to decentralization and, most 
important, how to better educate a skeptical public on this 
vital issue.  End Comment. 
STRUBLE