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PERU-POLITICS-CORRUPTION
Peru president calls on political parties to clean up act
LIMA, Jan 10, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Peru’s President Martin Vizcarra called Wednesday for an end to an era of “dirty money financing politics” in his country, urging political parties to exercise greater control of their funding.
“Peruvians want more and better control over the financing of funds handled by the political parties, not money laundering, not dirty money financing politics,” Vizcarra told a press conference at government headquarters.
Vizcarra was speaking after promulgating the constitutional reforms approved in a December 9 referendum, among them an overhaul of political party funding.
The 55-year-old former diplomat has made the fight against corruption one of his main priorities since taking over as president in March 2018.
“The promulgation of this financing reform is fundamental to increase electoral campaign transparency and consolidate democracy,” he told reporters.
Peru’s main political parties and their leaders are being investigated by special prosecutors for allegedly receiving millions of dollars in illegal campaign funding from Brazil construction firm Odebrecht.
Keiko Fujimori, who leads the country’s biggest party, Popular Force, is serving a 36 month preventive jail sentence while investigations into her party finances continue.
Peru’s last four presidents — Alejandro Toledo, Alan Garcia, Ollanta Humala and Vizcarra’s immediate predecessor Pedro Pablo Kuczynski — have been linked to illicit Odebrecht payments.
All four are under investigation, while Toledo, currently living in the United States, has been formally charged with taking a $20 million Odebrecht bribe.
BSS/AFP/AU/07:45 hrs