LatinNews Daily Report - 15 March 2013

POLITICS | Stage set for Lima recall referendum. On 14 March the camps for and against the recall of Lima Mayor Susana Villarán closed their respective campaigns with rallies in Lima. The 17 March recall referendum is the first ever faced by a Lima mayor and could mark an important watershed in the country’s democracy. The referendum has divided public opinion, with some arguing it strengthens democracy by making elected officials more accountable, while others maintain that it undermines democracy by promoting political instability. Peru’s main political parties are divided on the issue, but most have opted to join one camp or the other based on their own vested interests. The latest polls, released on 10 March by Ipsos Perú, GFK, and CPI, suggested that the ‘Yes’ campaign (i.e.in favour of recalling Villarán) was ahead by as much as 10 percentage points (backed by 49.6% -55% of respondents), while the ‘No’ campaign had the backing of  39%-43% of respondents. According to the local electoral authority (JNE), some 6m Limeños are registered to vote.