Peru congress race draws quirky field of 2880

LIMA, Peru - The mother of the president's illegitimate daughter, a cross-dresser and a voluptuous former cheerleader are among a record 2880 candidates running in Peru's congressional elections -- a reflection of the country's colourful life and the failure of its traditional politicians.

Candidates from 25 political parties literally partied outside Peru's electoral board as they registered by the midnight deadline to run for just 120 seats.

One leftist militant dressed as Winnie the Pooh fainted in the summer heat and tumbled to the ground.

"This Congress is a total circus, the lawmakers are clowns. Half will go to jail and the other half are stealing," said candidate Pablo Villanueva, 70, a comedian known as Melcochita.

"But I will take seriously the Congress we are now forming."

The ballots for the April 9 election will be laughingly long -- 60cm for the lawmakers and 45cm for the 21-person presidential race.

Analysts say the quirky field sprouts from Peruvians' frustration with a political class riddled with corruption and cronyism while half of the 26 million people live in poverty.

"It shows the failure of the political parties, which have not changed their ways," said Giovanna Penaflor, head of pollster IMASEN. "It is just more of the same, folkloric Peruvian politics."

Political analyst Santiago Pedraglio also sees the far-ranging field as a symptom.

"This reflects political parties' crisis and that's why we have a problem with the quality of our candidates," he said. "Everyone feels entitled to take power."

Several of the traditional parties' lists feature candidates facing trials or accusations of corruption charges.

The outsiders, meanwhile, are grabbing headlines with their peculiar agendas.

Lucrecia Orozco wants to promote responsible paternity in Congress after fighting 14 years for outgoing President Alejandro Toledo to recognize their daughter Zarai. He finally did so in 2002 after years of denying her existence.

But Orozco is running on a list of supporters of former President Alberto Fujimori, who fled office for Japan in 2000 in the heat of a corruption scandal and now is in a Chilean prison, awaiting possible extradition to Peru.

Fujimori's daughter, Keiko, also is running for Congress with the objective of clearing her father's name.

Shirley Cherress, a former cheerleader for the Sport Boys soccer club who sold calendars with pictures of her in tiny uniforms, gets irritated when she is accused of being a showgirl candidate.

"I'm not going to Congress to sell meat," she said.

Cross-dresser Belissa Andia, who appears on the electoral lists as Manuel Andia, wants "a moral transformation of society with tolerance and respect."

But not everyone is in the race for noble causes.

In 2004, one lawmaker from the government party shocked the country when she told a reporter: "Go into politics, you'll make money and you'll be happy."

The monthly wage and expense account of a lawmaker is US$8000, ($11,700) compared to the minimum wage of US$137.

"Congress is a good way to make money," said political analyst Mirko Lauer.

His observation was backed up by the feelings of housewife Nina Velazco.

"Everyone in Congress is a freeloader," she said. "I prefer Melcochita any day because he belongs to the people."

- REUTERS