Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 5

Written Answers. - Peru Elections.

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

110 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the concerns that have been expressed about the lack of adequate conditions for free, fair and democratic elections in Peru; if he has raised the issue at European Union level; if he will press for guarantees in relation to the second round of elections which should include a just voting procedure being put in place, an immediate end to all forms of harassment and intimidation of opposition candidates and their supporters, for access to television and radio coverage for all candidates and independent election observers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14081/00]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen):

The Government fully shares the concerns expressed about the lack of adequate conditions for free, fair and democratic elections in Peru. Together with our partners in the European Union, we have been active in conveying those concerns both directly to the Peruvian authorities in Lima and in appropriate international fora.

At the recent session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Ireland was fully associated with a statement made by the EU Presidency on behalf of the Union as a whole, which noted with alarm the decline in Peru of the rule of law including the deterioration in the electoral process. The statement expressed the Union's concern about the practices which seriously undermine the separation of powers, the lack of due process particularly where military penal courts of justice are concerned, disrespect for procedural guarantees, harassment of human rights defenders, of journalists and opposition political leaders, extra-judicial executions, torture and appalling conditions in detentions centres.

In view of our deep concern regarding aspects of the conduct of the Peruvian election campaign, the EU Presidency issued a further statement on 7 April, just prior to the first round of elections – in Lisbon, Brussels and Lima – drawing attention to the fact that the Union was closely monitoring the electoral process, and urging the authorities to adopt all the necessary measures to ensure that the Peruvian people could express their will in freedom and democracy, without undue pressure of any kind.

Similar vigilance is called for in the run-up to the second round of the elections at the end of this month. Ireland, together with our partners, is closely following developments in the second phase of the election campaign, and we will be making our views known as appropriate to the Peruvian authorities, in co-operation with other friends of the Peruvian people, urging strongly that the government of Peru guarantees a fair and equitable electoral campaign and a transparent and genuinely democratic second round.

The EU is working in close co-operation with the Organisation of American States which was notably vigilant in monitoring the first round of the election, and particularly robust in its comments both on the conduct of the campaign and the counting of the votes. The Government believes that democracy must be upheld, not only in Peru, but all over Latin America. It is our view that the recent progress in the consolidation of democracy in Latin America must be sustained. The conviction is at the core of our policy – and that of the EU as a whole – towards the region.