As everyone expected, the modifications to the law which regulates the functioning of the Peruvian Agency of International Cooperation were approved at Congress` plenary session on November 2nd. Among other things, the law allows government to control the money that NGOs receive from abroad. Also this week, Congress` Constitution Commission surprisingly decided to lift the suspension on congressman José Luna.

Critics of the law maintain that it “nationalizes international cooperation” because it puts NGOs at the same level of other State institutions. One of its critics, ombudsman Beatriz Merino, asked Congress not to pass the bill for she considers it to be unconstitutional. Should parliament insist, argued Ms. Merino, government should observe it.

Those in favour of the law maintain that, since NGOs receive fiscal benefits they should not be able to avoid State control. Critics, instead, claim that NGOs are private organizations and therefore, government would infringe some basic rights should they try to control their activities

On November 4th, media and NGOs` representatives threatened to go the Constitutional Court should the law be finally approved.

Constitution Commission lifts José Luna´ s suspension

“Otorongo no come otorongo”, says a well-known peruvian saying. In the case of turncoat José Luna Gálvez, it seems that the saying holds some truth.

Luna was first elected in the year 2000. Shortly after the beginning of Fujimori` s third term of office, Luna left Solidaridad Nacional (SN), the party that had taken him to Congress, and became an independent MP. Shortly after, he was accused of receiving ten thousand dollars from Vladimiro Montesinos in order to leave SN.

Still, a year later, he was again included in the Unidad Nacional (UN) list; a join ticket of the Partido Popular Cristiano (PPC), Renovación Nacional (RN) and SN for the legislative election of 2001. He was again elected. And, although he was suspended, he was again elected this year.

On October 31st, the Constitution Commission lifted the suspension pending on him since 2002. His defence argued that the suspension was over since the end of the last legislature.

According to Víctor Andrés García Belaúnde, a member of the Constitution Commission, an alliance of UN with the nationalists and the fujimoristas had decided Luna` s luck. Two nationalist MPs, Cayo Galindo and José Vega Antonio, changed their mind in the last moment in favour of Luna. A week before, Luna` s suspension was a sure thing.

The plenary session will have the last word.

Ignazio De Ferrari