Starting in July 2026, the Congress of the Republic of Peru will resume the bicameral system, which will put an end to three decades of unicameralism. The new Parliament will be made up of 130 deputies and 60 senatorseach one with differentiated functions, as specified by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE).
The restoration of the bicameral system implies a return to the structure in force until the 1993 Constitutionwhen unicameralism was established. The ONPE highlights that Law 31988 reestablishes the bicameral tradition and defines its entry into force for 2026.
In the next elections, Peruvians will elect the members of the bicameral Parliament, which will have 130 deputies and 60 senatorspositions with special roles different from each other and in which the Senate will be a key element for its operation.
According to the ONPE, the Chamber of Deputies will have skills such as presentation, debate and initial approval of bills, which will then be reviewed by the Senate. Its powers include the legislative initiative, the ability to question and censure ministers of State, the formation of investigative commissions and the power to accuse senior officials of crimes related to their functions.
This group of parliamentarians will be in charge of exercising political control and will assume a central role in the initial phase of the legislative process.
For his part, the Senate will review the bills submitted by the Chamber of Deputies, with the power to approve, modify or reject themas indicated by the ONPE.
But the functions of this Chamber are even more important, since they will have the ability to elect key officials: the ombudsman, the comptroller general, the superintendent of Banking, Insurance and AFP (SBS), the members of the Constitutional Court and the board of directors of the Central Reserve Bank, among other senior officials, as explained RPP.
Luis Roelan expert lawyer in constitutional law, indicated that this new Senate will be able to modify any of the initiatives sent by the deputies without the need for consultations to carry out those changes.
“The Chamber of Senators will be able to change everything that the Chamber of Deputies orders in terms of laws without being accountable to it.” to the Chamber of Deputies, which did not happen, for example, in the bicameral Congress of the 1979 Constitution, which did have what was called resubmission,” he stated on the radio.
Parliament will operate under the model of “imperfect bicameralism”as explained RPP. This system grants exclusive powers to each chamber, so no body can assume the powers of the other. The ONPE emphasizes that these barriers reinforce a strict separation of functions and consolidate reciprocal control within legislative work.
In budgetary matters, cooperation between chambers will be mandatory. The approval of the opinion will require consensus of the commissions of deputies and senators, who must coordinate to agree on the final text. Both chambers will exercise the same vote and responsibility in approving the national budget.
The institutional design reinforces the mechanisms of counterweight and constitutional control. RPP indicates that the Constitutional Court may review and declare the constitutionality of the regulations issued by Congress, intervening if any of the chambers or the plenary session exceed their legal powers or dictate provisions incompatible with the Magna Carta.
