Peru's President of the Council of Ministers, Luis Galarreta, has requested that the Chamber of Deputies convene a plenary session on August 20 to present the general policy of the new government.
The proposed date coincides with the 30-day constitutional deadline established for a newly formed ministerial cabinet to present its executive roadmap and management measures before Parliament.
Galarreta formally submitted the petition to Óscar Reto, the president of the Mesa Directiva of Congress, requesting floor time for his 19-member cabinet to detail the administration's program.
In Peru's executive framework, the President of the Council of Ministers serves as the prime minister, leading cabinet discussions and coordinating policy across government portfolios. Galarreta assumed the leadership post as one of the closest political confidants of President Keiko Fujimori.
Prior to his cabinet appointment, Galarreta served as First Vice President of Peru and held a seat in the Andean Parliament, the elective legislative body created to foster integration among member states of the Andean Community.
Cabinet Appointments and Early Congressional Scrutiny
The new ministerial team includes Elmer Cuba as Minister of Economy and Finance, César Astudillo as Minister of the Interior, and Rafael Belaúnde Llosa as Minister of Defense.
Belaúnde Llosa has already encountered opposition from lawmakers in Congress, who have questioned his position over an alleged conflict of interest involving mining interests.
Stalled Request for Delegated Legislative Powers
The upcoming presentation to lawmakers arrives as the executive branch faces public scrutiny over delayed reform proposals. President Keiko Fujimori announced a request for delegated legislative powers during her annual Message to the Nation address on July 28, framing the special authority as a necessary response to rising citizen insecurity and the threat of the El Niño weather phenomenon. Coastal El Niño events regularly bring severe rainfall, flooding, and infrastructure disruption to Peru.
The Council of Ministers placed the delegation of powers on the agenda for its initial working session on July 29. However, the government failed to deliver the formal bill to the congressional filing desk, known as the mesa de partes.
The only document to surface was a draft leaked to the press. The leaked draft detailed controversial proposals, including the elimination of public holidays, structural changes to the Penal Code, and the merger or complete dissolution of several state entities. The measures prompted widespread criticism from legal specialists and members of the public.
Repeatedly Missed Government Deadlines
Executive officials have repeatedly missed self-imposed timelines for submitting the legislative package to lawmakers. Cabinet Minister Marco Vinelli stated on August 1 that the project would be ready the following week, a schedule President Fujimori repeated on August 3 with a similar commitment for the next week.
Neither promised deadline was fulfilled. On August 7, Economy Minister Elmer Cuba acknowledged that the legislative request remained stalled due to a bureaucratic procedure. As of August 17, no member of the cabinet has confirmed a concrete date for presenting the proposal to Parliament.
