Peruvian presidential race likely to be decided in run-off vote

Presidential elections in Peru are likely to be decided in a run-off vote after no candidate appeared to have achieve an absolute majority in a first round of voting, according to initial results on Monday.

Peruvians voted on Sunday for a new president and Congress, with all 60 Senate and 130 lower house seats up for grabs, in elections held against the backdrop of a deep political crisis.

Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, led the presidential race at about 17%, according to preliminary results released after roughly half of the votes were counted.

Fujimori, whose father was convicted of human rights abuses, is running for the conservative People’s Force party and is seeking the presidency for the fourth time.

She was trailed by ultra-conservative former Lima mayor Rafael López Aliaga with nearly 15%, among 35 candidates vying for the top job.

If no candidate manages to garner an absolute majority, the two leading contenders are due to face off in a run-off vote on June 7.

Rising crime has been the dominant issue in the campaign, with the murder rate in Peru having doubled since 2019. Extortion and gang-related crime have also increased significantly.

Peru’s political landscape remains highly unstable, marked by ongoing tensions between parliament and the executive. Incumbent President José María Balcázar only took office in mid-February and is already the country’s eighth head of state in less than a decade.

The last Peruvian president to complete a full five-year term was Ollanta Humala, who served from 2011 to 2016.

Some polls were reopened on Monday after some voters were unable to cast their ballots in Sunday’s elections.

The National Election Board (JNE) said there had been delays in the installation of polling stations in several voting centres, with voting extended until Monday evening in those areas.

Some 15 polling stations were unable to open in Lima on Sunday after ballot papers had failed to be delivered, affecting some 50,000 voters. Two consulates in the US, where Peruvians living abroad were able to cast their ballots, also reported irregularities.

The JNE said it could “guarantee” the transparency and legality of the election.