Peru's Vizcarra has upper hand over opposition for now

Significance

While President Martin Vizcarra won a victory against the Fujimorista opposition in Congress by challenging it to deny a vote of confidence in the government, it is still far from clear when -- or even if -- the president’s proposed referendums on political and judicial reforms will take place. As passed, the motion of confidence left it to Congress to set the date and the wording of the referendum. So while Vizcarra has won a significant battle in his attempts to override the opposition majority in Congress, he has by no means won the war.

Impacts

• Fuerza Popular will seek to avoid triggering a further vote of no-confidence in the executive.
• Vizcarra will be constrained by not wishing to surpass the constitutional prerogatives of the executive.
• The details of any referendum are far from clear, and much will depend on these, not least the questions posed.
• Vizcarra’s current popularity may prove difficult to sustain in the longer run.