Three days out from Peru’s general election, voters are still waiting for results in the closely watched presidential race. Leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez moved into second place on Wednesday, as the vote count continues. But after years of political instability, Peru’s chaotic general election has done little to reassure voters that the tumult in their government is at an end.
Peru has shifted through nine presidents in just 10 years. Then, on Sunday, the general election was marred by long lines and delayed ballot deliveries, prompting authorities to grant a one-day extension for voting in some areas. The confusion over the voting process and its results has spiked public scepticism.
Another voter, Iris Valle, told The she was frustrated at having to return a second day to vote. Those sentiments have been fanned by candidates who suggested that they will not accept the results as legitimate. Among them is former Lima Mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga, a far-right figure seeking a spot in June’s run-off race.
But the first round of voting has come down to a tight race for second place. Only the top two finishers — from a record field of 35 contenders — will advance to the second round of voting on June 7. With about 90 percent of ballots counted on Wednesday, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori is leading the field with 17 percent of the vote.
She is all but assured of advancing to the second round. But her opponent has yet to be decided. Sanchez currently holds 12.04 percent of the vote, and Lopez Aliaga is a close third with 11.9 percent.
Sanchez, who has risen in the count since Sunday, said that he is “proceeding calmly, with composure” as votes are tabulated. While the election was marked by logistical failures, particularly around the capital city of Lima, election observers have said that they have yet to see concrete evidence of fraud. She cautioned that observers have “not found objective elements to support the narrative of fraud”.
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