Right-wing populist Keiko Fujimori held a narrow lead on Monday in Peru’s presidential election, but the crisis-hit nation’s race was too close to call as votes were still being tabulated from countryside bastions of support for radical leftist Pedro Castillo.
Fujimori had 50.2% of ballots to Mr. Castillo’s 49.8%, according to partial results from Peru’s electoral body, with about 90% of polling stations counted after voting on Sunday in a country battered by years of political turbulence.
Whoever wins will take leadership of a nation in crisis, suffering from recession and with the worst coronavirus fatality rate in the world after recording more than 1,84,000 deaths among its 33 million population.
Peruvians will also look to the winner to end years of political turmoil after four Presidents in the last three years, and with seven of the last 10 of the country’s leaders either having been convicted of or investigated for corruption.
The head of Peru’s top electoral body (ONPE), Piero Corvetto, warned that many polling stations from rural areas — Mr. Castillo’s stronghold — had yet to be tallied.
“They haven’t counted our votes yet,” Castillo told supporters Sunday in Tacabamba, in the northern Cajamarca region where he lives.
Mr. Castillo, 51, had earlier urged his supporters to “stay calm.”
Mr. Fujimori, 46, also called for caution, saying: “Seeing how small the gap is, it is essential to maintain prudence and I say that for all Peruvians.”
Both candidates promised to respect the results as they cast their own ballots on Sunday.
“We’re not going to know (the winner) until the last vote” is counted, political scientist Jessica Smith told AFP.