Kuczynski wins Peru, Fujimori yet to concede
After the counting of all votes, Peruvian presidential candidate Pablo Kuczynski has won 50.12% of the votes against his rival Fujimori's 49.88%, securing the majority of the votes for him to take power. However, 500,000 votes are yet to be settled by an electoral court before a winner can be officially declared. Kuczynski officially thanked the Peruvian voters via twitter.
Peru is a South-American nation with an area of 1,285,000 km and a population of 30 million. The Andean nation, famous for its rich cultural heritage and the lost city of Incas civilisation- Machu Picchu, faced twenty-year-long violence (1980-2000) between the state and the leftist guerilla groups Shining Path and Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. Peru will witness its 4th Presidential elections on 10 April.
The Peruvian President is elected for a period of 5 years through a direct election in which people directly choose their candidates. If no candidate receives an absolute majority, a run-off is held between the top two candidates.
The Latin American nation had witnessed rapid economic growth post cessation of violence in 2000 and had been among the top investment destinations since then. However, the slowdown in commodity prices in the last couple of year has adversely affected the Peruvian economy. A large part of the population is employed in the informal sector and 3/4th do not have social security.
Politically, Peruvians are divided over the legacy of the former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori. Alberto was responsible for eradicating the rebel group 'Shining Path' during the 1990s in which some 70,000 Peruvians, mostly peasants, also lost their lives. He was imprisoned for 25 years in 2009 for human rights abuse and corruption; his daughter, Keiko Fujimori, is a tough contestant in the Presidential elections.
Peruvian capital had seen a large-scale protest against Keiko mainly because of her father, Alberto Fujimori's legacy. Despite that, the pre-election polls suggest the main contest for the Presidential post would be among the market favorite ex-banker Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, leftist psychologist Veronika Mendoza, and center-right Keiko Fujimori. Keiko had missed the post by a whisker during the 2nd round of the 2011 elections.
A Peruvian President cannot be elected for a consecutive second term, however, his deputies can be. This is the reason that the current President Ollanta Humala is not in the race.
In an instance of suspected violence by Shining Path rebels, 3 people have died and 6 injured on the eve of the Presidential elections in Peru. The incident occured in a remote cocoa-growing region of Peru on 9 April when military officials were transporting elections materials. Of the 3 persons who died, 2 were military personnel and 1 was a civilian driver.
Presidential candidates Keiko Fujimori and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski are tied in the run up to Peru's elections. Keiko Fujimori won the first round of elections; however, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has since narrowed the gap. Fujimori is the daughter of Peru's former President Alberto Fujimori who is in jail for crimes against humanity. Pablo Kuczynski is criticized for his proximity to Peru's business houses.
Early esults in Peru's presidential election show that candidate Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has gained a narrow lead over his competitors. Kuczynski had 50.82% of the votes against 49.18% that Keiko Fujimori won. According to Peru's electoral authority, so far, 78% of the votes have been counted. Sources state that corruption scandals in the Popular Force party may have contributed to Fujimori's low vote count.
Preuvian Presidential candidate Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's party has said that he will clinch Peru's election by a small margin over rival Keiko Fujimori. With 99.5% of the votes counted, Kuczynski is leading Fujimori 50.12% to 49.88%. However, Peru's electoral commission is yet to declare the results officially. Kuczynski's spokesperson has stated that he would not make an official statement until the results are announced.
After the counting of all votes, Peruvian presidential candidate Pablo Kuczynski has won 50.12% of the votes against his rival Fujimori's 49.88%, securing the majority of the votes for him to take power. However, 500,000 votes are yet to be settled by an electoral court before a winner can be officially declared. Kuczynski officially thanked the Peruvian voters via twitter.
