The Peruvians decide on a major constitutional reform. A good 24.3 million voters were called on Sunday to vote in a referendum, inter alia, a ban on the direct re-election of deputies.

President Martín Vizcarra had used the referendum in response to several major corruption scandals. "Today is an important day for our democracy," the Conservative wrote on Twitter.

He had taken over the highest office in March, after his predecessor Pedro Pablo Kuczynski had been preempted by his resignation impeachment.

Corruption scandal by construction company

Despite solid economic growth over the past two decades, the Andean state is in a serious political crisis. As many as four ex-presidents and several leading politicians are being investigated for corruption in a cross-border scandal.

The Brazilian company Odebrecht had admitted bribing politicians in several Latin American countries in order to obtain lucrative government contracts. Peru was hit hard because of its booming economy.

The scandal triggered a political avalanche in the past two years. At the end of October, powerful opposition leader Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former authoritarian-ruling President Alberto Fujimori, was arrested. The ultra-right politician is accused of money laundering.

Recently, ex-head of state Alan García tried in vain to seek political asylum in Uruguay, after a judge had imposed a ban on leaving him.

Vote on four constitutional amendments

The referendum was expected to win Vizcarras. The citizens decide on four planned constitutional changes:

  • the ban on deputy re-election
  • the reintroduction of a second parliamentary chamber of the Senate
  • the drafting of a party financing law
  • the reform of the largely corrupt system of justice by a new regulatory body

However, Vizcarra later called for a "no" to the Senate reform after the original proposal had been rewritten in Parliament. The executive should be deprived of legislative control in favor of the new Chambers of Deputies and Senators. The president fears that the Fujimori-controlled Congress could thus expand its power. Since the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections, the government and parliament have been engaged in an inexorable power struggle.