Peru Posible (PP) (Peru Possible)

Peru Posible (Peru Possible) was founded in 1999 by outgoing president Alejandro Toledo. The party suffered as Toledo's approval rating has plummeted. While Peru’s first democratically elected president of Indian descent managed to keep the economy healthy and spur gross domestic product growth at an average of 4.5 percent a year, frustration grew among workers who did not reap the fruits of Peru’s macroeconomic success. A string of scandals and allegations of corruption damaged his party’s reputation further and pushed his approval ratings into the single digits.

Thanks to the active mediation of Congress President Antero Flores-Araoz, in March 2005 a potential constitutional crisis between the executive and legislative branches seems to have been averted. The crisis developed after President Toledo announced in late February that he was prepared to meet with the Congressional Special Investigative Committee (Villanueva Committee) looking into allegations that parties, including the President's Peru Posible (then Pais Posible), forged signatures to meet registration requirements for the 2000 elections.

While it seems clear that Peru Posible and other parties submitted forged registration lists, providing conclusive evidence of criminal responsibility may be very difficult. Many parties hired canvassers to gather signatures and shift the blame for misconduct to them. In deed, the Office of National Electoral Processes (ONPE) only recognized three million signatures as valid out of more than 18,712,000 submitted by all parties seeking to register for the 2000 elections.

The President and other high-level Peru Posible officials implicated in the scandals probably had more reason to be concerned that they will be the subject of criminal prosecutions after Toledo lefts office in July 2006.

The President's concern over the scandals was reportedly is being fed by Prime Minister Ferrero, Peru Posible co-Secretary General and Congressman Jesus Alvarado, Labor Minister Juan Sheput and other members of the "hard wing" ("ala dura") faction of the ruling Peru Posible party, who then employ their strident public defense of Toledo to maintain and solidify their dominant influence in the administration. Self-defense may also be involved, as members of the Hard Wing faction were themselves primary suspects in the scandals.

The "hard wing" of Peru Posible exploited Toledo's heightened sense of insecurity to increase his dependence on them. This happens at a time when Toledo was pondering who will replace Carlos Ferrero as Prime Minister. It made it more than likely that the President will fall back on his ever-narrowing base rather than - as some of his advisors have urged - naming a respected non-political or "friendly opposition figure.

President Alejandro Toledo's Peru Posible party was engaged in a comedy of errors in the run-up to the 2006 elections. Toledo tried, but failed to convince former Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez to stand; Vice President David Waisman withdrew his name on health grounds; Toledo then hand-picked an unknown health food entrepreneur, Jeannette Enmanuel, but she quit the race after five days claiming telephone threats unnerved her family (though some pundits suggest she did not want her business interests closely scrutinized); and in the end the party's nomination was offered and accepted by Rafael Belaunde, son of former President Fernando Belaunde.

Rafael Luis BELAUNDE Aubry is an engineer and the son of former President Fernando Belaunde. He formerly served as a Senator with the Accion Popular (Popular Action) party. His First Vice President candidate was Carlos BRUCE Montes de Oca, former Minister of the Presidency and Minister of Housing under President Toledo. His Second Vice Presidential candidate was Romulo MUCHO Mamani who previously served as Vice-Minister of Energy and Mines and recently became a Congressman representing Puno. Belaunde is a political maverick, and Peru Posible, although President Toledo's party, has not been known for its ideological consistency.

Belaunde is a notorious political loose cannon who previously heartily criticized the Toledo Administration. The party’s 2006 presidential candidate, Rafael Balaunde Aubry, pulled out of the race 31 January 2006.

Former President Alejandro Toledo's party, Peru Possible (Peru Posible) held a smattering of elected offices outside Lima but revolves mostly around Toledo's (long distance, for now) leadership. Popular Action (Accion Popular), a traditional party that had the presidency twice in modern Peruvian history, has faded in recent years and lacks a presidential candidate with broad name recognition.