Peru's government, led since July 28 by right-wing President Keiko Fujimori, authorized a transfer of 99.7 million soles (about 29.4 million dollars) to finance regional and municipal elections set for October 4, official sources said Sunday.
The measure was formalized through a decree published in the official gazette El Peruano. It specified that the Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (JNE), Peru's top electoral body, will receive 15.6 million soles (4.6 million dollars), while the Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE), which organizes the elections, will get 84.1 million soles (24.8 million dollars).
The decree said the total amount will cover expenses tied to the regional and municipal elections, drawn from the contingency reserve of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) under the 2026 public budget law. The measure was signed by Fujimori and Economy Minister Elmer Cuba.
Funding Shortfall Warning
The new government granted the budget after electoral authorities warned in early July that the October elections were at risk due to a lack of funding from the Executive. JNE president Roberto Burneo said at the time that the situation was very worrying, since officials had spent months seeking the necessary resources while still facing a deficit of 589.52 million soles (173.4 million dollars).
The transitional government led by legislator Jose Maria Balcazar responded that guaranteeing the normal development of the October elections was its main priority, adding it would keep providing funds in line with fiscal responsibility and sustainability rules.
What Voters Will Decide
Peruvians are set to elect 25 regional governors and vice governors, 364 regional councilors, 196 provincial mayors, 1,696 district mayors, 1,724 provincial councilors and 9,118 district councilors on October 4. The local vote closes an electoral year that began with general elections in April and continued with a presidential runoff in June, in which Fujimori was elected to serve from 2026 to 2031.
