Peru

Congress of the Republic

Political system
Presidential system
Structure of parliament
Unicameral
IPU membership
Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s)
26 Jan 2020
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
30 Sep 2019
Timing of election
Early elections
Number of seats at stake
130
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election
21
Total number of candidates
2,326
Number of male candidates
1,386
Number of female candidates
940
Percentage of women candidates
40.4%

Voter turnout

Registered voters
24,799,384
Voters
18,369,088
Voter turnout
74.1%

Results

About the election

The snap elections in 2020 returned a fragmented parliament, with nine parties (up from six) entering the 130-member Congress of the Republic. Only two of them – Popular Action and the Alliance for Progress – won more than 20 seats. The largest party in the previous legislature, the Popular Force (see note 1), reduced its share of the seats from 73 to 15. The newly elected legislature, convened on 16 March, will serve out the five-year term of the previous parliament elected in April 2016. On 29 May, Congress expressed confidence in a new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Vicente Zeballos with the support of most members of six parliamentary parties (see note 2).

The snap elections followed the stand-off between the President and Congress. In March 2018, Mr. Martín Vizcarra succeeded President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who had resigned amid corruption allegations. The new President announced anti-corruption measures, but the Congress controlled by the Popular Force blocked the vote on the President’s reform plans several times. On 28 July 2019, President Vizcarra presented a reform to Congress to bring forward general elections by one year to July 2020, instead of 2021, stating that the country needed a fresh start. On 26 September, Congress shelved the President’s proposal. The following day the President called for a confidence vote but Congress did not take it up. On 30 September, President Vizcarra dissolved Congress and called early parliamentary elections for 26 January 2020. On 3 October, the President appointed a Cabinet led by former Justice Minister Zeballos. Although Speaker Pedro Olaechea filed a case at the Constitutional Court against the dissolution of Congress, on 15 January 2020 the Court ruled in the President’s favour.

Note 1:

The party leader, Ms. Keiko Fujimori (daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori) is accused of receiving illicit party funding for her unsuccessful 2011 presidential election campaign. Although she was released from preventive custody in November 2019, she was placed in custody again shortly after the 2020 elections.

Note 2:

A total of 89 members from Popular Action, the Alliance for Progress, the Agricultural People's Front (FRERAP), the Democratic Party "We Are Peru", Podemos Perú and the Purple Party voted for the new Cabinet.

Number of parties winning seats
9
Percentage of parties winning seats
42.9%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
19.2%
Alternation of power after elections
Not applicable

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group Total
Popular Action 25
Alliance for Progress 22
Agricultural People's Front (FRERAP) 15
Popular Force 15
Union for Peru 13
Democratic Party We Are Peru" 11
Podemos Perú 11
Purple Party 9
Broad Front or Justice, Life and Liberty 9
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
96
Number of women elected
34
Percentage of women elected
26.2%
Women Directly Elected
34
Sources

Congress of the Republic (02.03.2020)

Resolución N.° 0133-2020-JNE

https://resoluciones.jne.gob.pe/

https://www.onpe.gob.pe/

New legislature

Total number of men after the election
96
Total number of women after the election
34
Percentage of women after the election
26.2%
First-term parliamentarians
120
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
92.3%
Date of the first session
16 Mar 2020

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Manuel Arturo Merino De Lama (Male)
Date of birth: 1961
Political party
Popular Action
Date of election
16 Mar 2020

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No