The political tranquility in Peru is over. Keiko Fujimor i did not delay 24 hours in breaking his commitment to respect the final results of the second electoral round. In fact, the computations have not concluded and the leader of the right-wing Fuerza Popular assured that there are “signs of fraud” that benefit her rival, Pedro Castillo .
When almost 95% of the minutes are scrutinized, the teacher of the left obtains 50.28% of the votes, against 49.72%of Fujimori. As the consulting firm Ipsos, responsible for the exit poll last Sunday, had predicted, the elections will be defined by a very narrow margin of votes. What was not expected so soon is that the daughter of the imprisoned autocrat, Alberto Fujimori, anticipated the final verdict at the polls.
For her, the situation is “unacceptable”. The maneuver to prevent his third attempt to get to the presidency from being successful has been ” something planned, systematic, that is why it is important to alert the public so that they can notify us if there has been any other event.”
“We have noticed that there has been a strategy on the part of Peru Libre to distort or delay the results that reflect the popular will, I mean to challenge the minutes, the majority trying to avoid that the minutes with the highest vote for Fuerza Popular are not accounted for, “he added.
According to the ONPE, so far there are only 265 minutes with challenged votes. Fujimori was confident, however, that the votes cast by Peruvians abroad and who have not yet entered the system, will help “match” the fight.
Castillo’s response
“We reject the statements of the Fuerza Popular candidate, reminding her that Peru Libre never resorted to electoral fraud, on the contrary, it was always a victim of it, and despite everything we knew how to confront and win,” Castillo replied. And he added: “I will be the first to enforce the will of the people.”
Political scientist Adriana Urrutia, president of the Transparency Civil Association and observer of elections for years, said, meanwhile, that ” there is no evidence that allows us to speak of fraud .” The Observer Mission of the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations (UNIORE)has recognized that the contest has been organized “correctly and successfully in accordance with national and international standards.”
The organization stressed that the second round was held in a “general atmosphere of civility and tranquility, despite the obvious tensions that polarization has produced in the country.” At the same time, he praised “the determination and professionalism” of the JNE the ONPE.
For its part, the mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) described the second round as “peaceful and democratic.” He also recalled that “there are still pending to process records at the national and foreign level, as well as the records observed that will be released in the special electoral juries.” So,
Hidden vote?
The elections do not seem to have brought any major surprises in terms of electoral behavior. Castillo easily prevailed in ” deep Peru” , the rural areas closest to the city and the jungle. Fujimori obtained its greatest flow in Lima and other important urban centers.
Migration has leaned towards her. However, analysts are beginning to accept that in the capital there was a “hidden vote” in favor of the left that pollsters have not been able to detect during the electoral campaign. That figure would explain Castillo’s slight advantage.
Hours before the teacher confirmed his favorable difference of 0.6 points, El Comercio had asked the contenders ” scrupulous respect for the electoral results .” Accepting the outcome, he recalled, “is, therefore, accepting the will of the country.” And while the polarization of the second round “leaves half the population unsatisfied, defeat is as much a part of this type of situation as victory.”
For the editorial of El Comercio, accusing that “the process was rigged does nothing more than unnecessarily dent our democratic system.” This is an attitude that Fujimori “should assume with special determination” in the event that his misstep is confirmed.
An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 shook this Monday in the province of Huarochirí, in the Lima region. But the earthquake that the politician fears most at this time if Fujimori refuses to accept his eventual defeat. The hours to come will be stressful.
The interim president, Francisco Sagasti, made a new call for moderation. “The results we have so far are a clarion call. They are an imperative mandate to agree on the direction that Peru has to take.”
