Peru’s Fujimori Agrees to New Elections

L I M A, Peru, Oct. 25 -- As President Alberto Fujimori mounted amanhunt for his former spy agency chief, his government agreed tohold new elections on April 8, an Organization of American Statesnegotiator said.

On Wednesday, Fujimori ordered Peru’s armed forces confined tobarracks in an apparent move against former spy chief VladimirosMontesinos.

Cesar Gaviria, secretary-general of the Organization of AmericanStates, confirmed in a news conference that Fujimori’s governmentwas undertaking a special operation to capture Montesinos, whosereturn Monday from Panama thrust the country into politicalturmoil.

A top-level OAS delegation, meanwhile, coaxed Fujimori’sgovernment and his opponents back to the bargaining tableWednesday, hammering out an agreement to hold special elections onApril 8.

Freeze of Armed Forces

Justice Minister Alberto Bustamante said the government hadwithdrawn its demand that new elections be contingent on a broadamnesty for military and civilian officials accused of human rightsabuses stemming from Peru’s battle with leftist guerrillas and drugtraffickers.

Earlier, Fujimori said he had ordered a “complete freeze” ofthe armed forces. He did not elaborate.

But he made the statement after leading a convoy of vehiclescarrying members of an elite police force to an army officers clubin the resort town of Chaclacayo, located in the foothills of theAndes, 22 miles east of Lima.

Montesinos has not been seen publicly since his return to Perufrom Panama on Monday after a failed asylum bid.

Indications that Montesinos is on the losing side of a powerstruggle for control of the armed forces were increasingly evidentWednesday.

Radio and newspapers reported that four Montesinos loyalists inthe army had been detained Monday on Fujimori’s orders.

A senior U.S. official who has been involved with the unfoldingcrisis said Fujimori is removing people who are more loyal toMontesinos than to him.