Fujimori leads in tight Peru presidential poll over Castillo

The country has seen four Presidents in the last three years

Peruvian right-wing presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori (R) and her vice-presidential co-candidates former congressman Luis Galarreta (L) and lawyer Patricia Juarez (C) abandon the stage after making a statement to the press calling for unity , invoking for prudence, calm and peace while waiting for official results in the vote count at the closure of the presidential runoff election day on June 6, 2021, in which she faces leftist candidate Pedro Castillo of Peru Libre. - The right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori obtained 50.3% of the votes on Sunday compared to 49.7% of her leftist rival Pedro Castillo, according to an exit poll by the Ipsos firm released at the closing of the polling stations in Peru. (Photo by Luka GONZALES / AFP)

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.