Peru - Farmers ask for referendum free trade agreement
Pulsar/CNR, 3 February 2006
Peru - Farmers Ask for Referendum Free Trade Agreement
3/2 - THe National Agricultural Convention (CONVEAGRO) will present 40,000 signatures at the National Electoral Jury to back up their demand to submit signing of a free trade agreement with the US to a national referendum.
Luis Zuñiga, president of CONVEAGRO, said that the electoral authorities validated more than 30,000 signatures and that only 8,000 fail to activate the referendum. He indicated that the date for the popular consultation could be debated in congress in March.
Zuñiga criticized the decision of president Alejandro Toledo to travel to Washington to sign the commercial agreement before elections on April 9th.
The free trade agreement will hurt farmers disproportionally, Zuñiga said, and added that he still has some hope that congress will not ratify the treaty. (PULSAR/CNR)
