-Caveat Lector- Fujimori confident political stability will be preserved in Peru By GEORGE GEDDA The Associated Press 9/29/00 5:46 PM WASHINGTON (AP) -- Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, seeking U.S. assistance as he struggles to survive the political turmoil now engulfing his country, said Friday that "stability and democracy in Peru will be guaranteed." Fujimori made the comment to reporters after Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told him she supported his decision to convene early elections and urged him to use his remaining months in office to promote democratic reform. "The priority now is the Peruvian electoral process," Fujimori said. "I expect that it will be under my direction, consistent with my commitment." Fujimori's hastily-arranged visit here also included a meeting Thursday evening with Organization of American States Secretary General Cesar Gaviria, who is overseeing a dialogue among Peruvian political leaders aimed at forging a consensus on ground rules for next year's elections. At a news conference Friday, Gaviria said the process is working well, noting that a series of agreements has been reached, including a commitment to announce an election date by Oct. 15. He suggested that the OAS-led process is indispensable for democratic stability in Peru. "There is no other way," he said. Gaviria acknowledged there have been threats by some in the military to stage a coup but said he expects its support for the process. "The most important thing is to protect and preserve Peruvian democracy," he said. While Fujimori has remained silent on the purpose of his visit, Gaviria said the Peruvian leader wanted to convey a sense of the complexity of the process his country faces in rearranging the electoral calendar. "He doesn't have the same power as before," Gaviria said. It was just two months ago that Fujimori was sworn in to a third term but a corruption scandal and other developments have left him in a weakened position, forcing him to call elections four years ahead of schedule. "You've done the right thing," Albright told Fujimori at the outset of their meeting, according to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. As Fujimori made his rounds here, the Peruvian Congress voted to dismantle the country's National Intelligence Service, which for a decade served as the power base of the discredited and now-exiled spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos. The vote was 101-1. Rumors of a military coup plot have swirled around Lima in recent days. In addition, some 2,500 laborers, teachers and students marched to the Government Palace, demanding Fujimori's immediate resignation and the extradition of Montesinos from Panama to face corruption charges. He is accused of trying to bribe an opposition congressman to join Fujimori's alliance. Fujimori was smiling as he arrived at the State Department on a comfortable early fall day and his demeanor was the same when he left 45 minutes later. He said he was not prepared to respond to reporters' questions but did so when several pressed him as he was getting into his car. He brushed aside questions about Montesinos and coup threats. "I prefer at this time that you excuse me for not commenting on these subjects but what I do want to say is that stability and democracy in Peru will be guaranteed." He then headed for a meeting with National Security adviser Sandy Berger. White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said, "I think he received a consistent message from both Secretary of State Albright and from Mr. Berger that we think he's going along the right path forward toward democracy--toward full democracy in the context of what the OAS has done and the work we have done along with them. "The message that we heard was that he believed in the OAS process and we reiterated that we wanted to see this done as soon as possible." At the start of his meeting with Albright, both commented on how different the situation was in Peru since the two met in New York three weeks ago -- before the corruption scandal involving Montesinos erupted. Three months ago, the Clinton administration was prepared to impose sanctions against Peru after concluding that a May 28 presidential runoff election was rigged in Fujimori's favor. The administration held back because of a lack of support among other OAS members. As a compromise, the OAS decided to encourage Peru to undertake democratic reform -- a process that has taken on added importance with Fujimori's call for early elections. ------ On the Net: State Department: www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/index.html Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. INSIDE NewsFlash » <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. 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