The Peru Show: Can The New Government Govern?

Hector Arocha:

The recent Peruvian elections delivered an interesting show for Peru watchers. Using the time honored political tactic of raising the spector of a troubled past and an uncertain future to scare voters and argue that change is the safe choice Mr. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski leveraged a tightly controlled party to eke out a marginal victory. It’s hard to miss that the PPK party shares Mr Kuczynski’s initials, if not his name.

For those not familiar with the rise of Kaczynski, Peru’s new president was born and raised in Lima Peru some 78 years ago. Educated in Philosophy, Economics, and Politics at Oxford. He also holds a Masters in Economics from Princeton. Kuczynski is clearly no intellectual slacker. He has held key positions in past Peruvian administrations as well as serving as the President of the Central Bank of Peru, the Secretary of Energy and Mining Industries, and the Secretary of Finances and Economics. 

Given such muscular technocratic credentials Kuczynski was a heavy weight contender. In the far corner we had the young Keiko Fujimori, daughter of the famous, some might say infamous, ill fated Alberto Fujimori, President of Peru from July 1998 until his flight from the country in November of 2000. Keiko was educated in Business Administration at Boston University and Columbia University collecting two MBAs. Her government experience includes the post of First Lady following her fathers turbulent divorce. The contestants’ similarities and differences added a level of definition to a close election.

Fujimori and Kuczynski are politically distinct to the point of likely irreconcilability. Political contests are not always a contest of friends, but they are nearly always a contest of interests. With new interests ascendant everything could change.

The new administration's challenge will be less one of economics, Peru has been enjoying steady growth for the last decade, than that of political reconciliation. Whether or not Kuczynski can build cross spectrum alliances and power sharing agreements will determine whether Peru’s intense politics are available to forward movement, or stuck in an ungovernable mire.

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Un resultado interesante de las elecciones Peruanas

Usando la vieja estrategia del miedo,ya sea del pasado un un possible futuro, el Sr Pedro Pablo Kuczynski y su partido politico el PPK Peruanos por el Cambio, se avisora como el ganador de esta disputada contienda.

Per quien es Kuczynski? Limeño de 78 años de edad, estudiante de Filosofia, Economia y Politica en Oxford, Inglaterra. Tambien realize un Post-grado en Economia en Princeton lo cual le califica como persona educada. Ocupo carteras ministeriales como Gerente general del Banco Central del Peru, Ministo de Energia y Minas, y tambien Ministro de Economia y Finanzas.

Ducho en material economica, gubernamental y obviamente, politica fue un serio contendiente.

En la otra acera tenemos a la joven Keiko Fujimori, licenciada en Administracion de Empresas por la Universidad de Boston con una maestria en la Universidad de Columbia en los Estados Unidos. Curiosamente, Keiko fue nombrada primera dama del Peru por su famoso padre, Alberto Fujimori, el cual ocupa por seis años.

Dos personas similares y diferentes que definieron los resultados de las presentes elecciones. 

Un Peru dividido en dos corrientes de pensamiento, las cuales se perciben irreconciliables en principio. Por supuesto, como en politica no existen amistades, existen intereses, todo pude cambiar. 

Sin embargo, se vislumbra ya un gobrierno dificil en lo politico, afortunadamente, no en lo economico, en donde Peru todavia mantiene una boanza regular que incluye crecimento economico.

El que viene, sera un periodo de intensas negociaciones politicas para ambos centros de poder y asi evitar la ingobernabilidad que desde ya se presenta como el mayor de los peligors que esta nacion suramericana enfrentara en los meses por venir.