The
Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República) is the name given to
Peru's
unicameral legislature under the current (1993)
constitution.
Congress consists of 120 members of congress (congresistas), who are elected for five year periods in office on a proportional representation basis. To be eligible, candidates must be Peruvian citizens, have passed their 25th birthday, and not have had their right to vote suspended.
The last congressional election was held on April 9 2006, concurrently with the presidential election.
Historical
Under its 1980 constitution (adopted in 1979 and abrogated in 1993), Peru had a bicameral Congress, made up of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. The Senate had 60 members; the Chamber, 180. Members of both chambers were elected for five-year terms, running concurrently with that of the president. Party-list proportional representation was used for both chambers: on a regional basis for the Senate, and using the D'Hondt method for the lower house. Members of both houses had to be Peruvian citizens, with a minimum age of 25 for deputies and 35 for senators.
Following the auto-coup of 1992, in which Congress was dissolved, the Democratic Constitutional Congress established a single chamber of 120 members.
Composition of the Peruvian Congress
Peruvian Congress of 1995-2000
On
July 27 1995 a new unicameral Congress was created with the following distrubition by political party:
Peruvian Congress of 2000-2001
On
July 27,
2000 the Congress of the Republic was established. This Congressional period was marked with various episodes of members of Congress
switching their party affiliation. The following distribution marks seats by party at the end of the 2000-2001 term:
Peruvian Congress of 2001-2006
On July 21, 2001 a new Congress of the Peruvian Republic was established the following is a distribution of Congress members by political party affiliation:
Peruvian Congress of 2006-2011
A new Peruvian Congress of the Republic was established in July 2006 with the following distribution:
Presidents of Congress
Presidents of the Congress of the Republic
| Beginning of Term
| End of Term
| Name of President
| Political Party
| Party Leader
|
| July 27, 1995
| July 26, 1996
| Martha Chávez
| Change 90-New Majority
| Alberto Fujimori |
| July 27, 1996
| July 26, 1997
| Víctor Joy Way
| Change 90-New Majority
| Alberto Fujimori |
| July 27, 1997
| July 26,1998
| Carlos Torres y Torres Lara
| Change 90-New Majority
| Alberto Fujimori |
| July 27, 1998
| July 26, 1999
| Víctor Joy Way
| Change 90-New Majority
| Alberto Fujimori |
| July 27, 1999
| November 13, 2000
| Martha Hildebrandt
| Peru 2000
| Alberto Fujimori |
| November 16, 2000
| November 21, 2000
| Luz Salgado¹
| Peru 2000
| Alberto Fujimori |
| November 16, 2000
| November 22, 2000
| Valentín Paniagua Corazao²
| Popular Action
| Fernando Belaúnde |
| December 15, 2000
| July 26, 2001
| Carlos Ferrero Costa³
| Peru Possible
| Alejandro Toledo |
| July 27, 2001
| July 26, 2003
| Carlos Ferrero Costa
| Peru Possible
| Alejandro Toledo |
| July 27, 2003
| July 26, 2004
| Henry Pease
| Peru Possible
| Alejandro Toledo |
| July 27, 2004
| July 26, 2005
| Antero Flores Aráoz
| National Unity
| Lourdes Flores |
| July 27, 2005
| July 26, 2006
| Marcial Ayaipoma
| Peru Possible
| Alejandro Toledo |
| July 27, 2006
| July 26, 2007
| Mercedes Cabanillas
| Peruvian Aprista Party
| Alan García |
| July 27, 2007
| July 26, 2008
| Luis Gonzales
| Peruvian Aprista Party
| Alan García |
| July 27, 2008
| July 26, 2009
| Javier Velásquez
| Peruvian Aprista Party
| Alan García |
- ¹ Luz Salgado temporarily assumed the position of President of Congress after a motion to censure President Hildebrandt.
- ² Valentìn Paniagua, was elected President of Congress and as such simultaneously served as President of the Transitional Government.
- ³ Carlos Ferrero Costa, was assigned to President of Congress by an agreement between different political parties.
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