Peru Elections Face Last-Minute Scramble as Parties Miss Registration Deadline
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Despite a legal framework designed to ensure comprehensive candidate lists, the National Election Jury (JNE) reported that at least 16 political parties failed to submit complete registration lists by the Wednesday, December 24 deadline for Peru’s upcoming elections. The JNE received 1,748 lists of the 2,023 expected, representing 86.41% completion, raising concerns about the preparedness of several parties for the bicameral Congress and Andean Parliament races.
Registration Shortfalls and System Issues
The incomplete submissions span a range of political organizations, with significant disparities in the percentage of lists filed. Primero la Gente registered a mere 2.22% of its expected lists – just one submission – while the Party of Workers and Entrepreneurs PTE managed 3.51% with two lists. Larger parties also faced challenges, with Let’s Save Peru at 12.28% (seven lists) and Ciudadanos por el Perú at 32.35% (11 lists). Notably, Ciudadanos por el Perú lacks a presidential candidate and has ties to Nicanor Boluarte, brother of former President Dina Boluarte.
The situation was particularly acute for Save Peru, where a coin toss determined their presidential nominee, Antonio Ortiz Villano. The party only registered seven of the fifty-seven lists required. Sources indicate that many potential candidates aligned with former Defense Minister Mariano González, who lost the party’s presidential nomination, did not sign the necessary application annexes. González’s resignation reportedly led to a mass exodus of support.
Established Parties Also Struggle
Even parties currently represented in Congress experienced difficulties. Together for Peru completed 45.61% of its lists (26 submissions), Popular Renewal reached 92.98% (53 lists), and the Purple Party achieved 95.56% (43 lists). The Venceremos alliance, comprised of Voces del Pueblo and Nuevo Perú, fared better at 96.49% (55 lists).
Technical issues with the JNE’s Declara Más system also contributed to the delays. Renovación Popular reported submitting remaining lists “in a presidential manner” in the Ucayali and Callao regions, anticipating the system would digitize the submissions and bring them into compliance.
Unique Cases and Presidential Candidates
The party Sí Creo, led by journalist Carlos Espá, achieved 100% registration for its presidential formula and 14 lists for the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. However, this represents less than 30% of the total 57 lists required, and the party has no candidates for the Andean Parliament.
As of the deadline, 36 parties had requested registration of their presidential formulas, with People First being the last to submit. Marisol Pérez Tello, Primero la Gente’s presidential candidate, stated that they had submitted “almost all” of their lists but encountered system crashes early in the morning. “As we were all in line with the jury and there were several parties, they told us to take what was pending on paper,” she explained, adding that defining their candidates is a complex process involving institutional agreements.
Raúl Molina, People First’s candidate for first vice president, acknowledged ongoing issues with the JNE platform, stating, “We have done the entire process, but the JNE platform…has had many problems.” He emphasized that the party had uploaded files before the closure and attributed any remaining issues to system limitations.
Legal Perspectives and Improvisation
Legal expert José Manuel Villalobos noted that the deadline for physical documentation submission expired on Tuesday at 11:59 pm. He cautioned that submissions made on Wednesday were considered late, though the JNE might consider evidence of attempted uploads to the Declara Más system. Villalobos also criticized the last-minute rush, with 25 of 36 parties with presidential candidates waiting until the final day. “It is a sign of improvisation,” he stated, adding that the roughly 32,000 soles required to register lists may have been a factor for some.
Another legal expert, José Tello, suggested that the JNE’s willingness to accept physical submissions from Primero la Gente indicates a potential technical issue with the Declara Más system. However, he also warned that negligence on the party’s part could disqualify them. Tello further criticized the widespread improvisation among parties, highlighting a “serious problem” with party membership numbers and their ability to fill all candidacies.
Qualification and Next Steps
JNE President Roberto Burneo explained that the next phase involves evaluating the submitted lists. “This list of candidates will be evaluated, they are already in the qualification stage in the Special Electoral Juries (JEE), some have already reported some inadmissibility decisions that can be rectified within 48 hours,” he said. The JEE will verify compliance with alternation and parity requirements, allowing parties 48 hours to correct any observed deficiencies. Burneo also confirmed that Faith in Peru, the Good Government Party, and the PTE physically presented their lists to the JEE.
The incomplete registration picture underscores potential challenges ahead for Peru’s 2026 elections, raising questions about party preparedness and the reliability of the electoral system.
