Peru's former presidents' factions align

[struggle4progress]

Alan García and Alberto Fujimori were sworn enemies 15 years ago, but now their congressional factions are voting together, leaving some questioning their motives.

BY TYLER BRIDGES
[e-mail]

LIMA - ... In 1992, following a ''self-coup'' in which he dissolved Congress and suspended freedom of assembly, Fujimori sent police to arrest García at home. García jumped onto an adjoining neighbor's roof and hid until he found a safe haven.

Now with García back in the presidential palace and Fujimori fighting extradition from Chile to Peru, congressional blocs led by the two men are voting together, apparently because both men are fighting charges that they sanctioned human rights abuses during Peru's war with Shining Path guerrillas ...

The death penalty vote in Congress failed -- it was García's first major defeat in Congress -- but the President immediately called for a public referendum to institute the death penalty -- until legal analysts said that Peru's Constitution did not permit this type of vote ...

Besides the death penalty vote, the Aprista and Fujimorista blocs in Congress have joined forces to approve a law that would regulate nonprofit groups -- including those that have angered García and Fujimori by aiding investigations of human rights violations by their governments ...

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16504249.htm