the vote count ended and Pedro Castillo passed Keiko Fujimori

Peru’s electoral authority today ended the ballot in the June 6 poll, in which left-wing trade unionist Pedro Castillo it was imposed on right-wing populists Keiko Fujimori, although there were still other procedures missing for him to be proclaimed president-elect.

Castillo overtook Fujimori for a little over 44,000 votes among more than 17.6 million valid votes (50.125% to 49.875%), as published by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) on its website.

However, for Castillo to be proclaimed president-elect, the National Elections Jury (JNE) still had to resolve requests to cancel voting at hundreds of tables, made by both candidates due to alleged irregularities in the preparation of the respective minutes.

Castillo rejected demands to quash presidential elections for suspected fraud denounced without proof by his political opponents who support Fujimori, who seeks to cancel thousands of votes.

It follows “call to want to lie down a choice, but for our part there will not be, ” Castillo said in a statement to the international press. The candidate greeted those who defend the vote in favor of his candidacy, which, according to him, represents “these populations which never had a vote”.

The minimal difference with which Castillo outperforms Fujimori has caused politicians to favor the candidate call for the cancellation of the elections where for the first time a teacher from the Andes came to power.

The maneuvers

The day before Jorge Montoya, a retired soldier from a right-wing party that supports Fujimori and one of the most voted for the unicameral Parliament, declared on his Twitter account that the “most cautious” solution to the close elections would be “to cancel and call new elections … to avoid the possible ungovernability that awaits us “.

Montoya added that the Peruvian electoral system “has been violated inside and out, since do not give confidence ” and that the president of the Electoral Tribunal and the head of the office which counts the votes should “resign from their functions and assume their responsibilities”.

According to the law, Elections are only canceled when blank and null votes exceed 66% of valid votes or if the elections are annulled in regions which represent at least 33% of the voters. Both options did not materialize, so experts believe the demand is “unachievable”.

Fujimori extended the close of the vote count for the June 6 election after calling on Wednesday for the cancellation of some 200,000 votes in favor of Castillo by “table fraud” allegedly led by the left party.

So far, Fujimori’s party has not presented any solid evidence to support its claim. The thousands of voices that the right seeks to cancel come from remote areas and the poor of the country who voted overwhelmingly for the left.

Ronald Gamarra, a lawyer for the Castillo team, told reporters he recognized the right to challenge Fujimori’s party votes, but “what cannot be done is abuse the right with the grim idea of ​​ignoring the rights of over 200,000 citizens who, over the 200 years of the republic’s history, have been tempted to deny these rights. ”

Acting President Francisco Sagasti said on Tuesday that the Organization of American States (OAS) Election Mission informed him that the first presidential round and the June 6 ballot had taken place “no flaws and no worries.”

“We must not rush, less using totally inappropriate words like a fraud, ”Sagasti said.

Whoever wins the election will rule for five years from July 28.

Source: AP and AFP

PB