Peruvian authorities confirm Fujimori and Sanchez advance to runoff

Peruvian election authorities have confirmed that right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori will face off against the left-wing Congress member Roberto Sanchez in the country’s presidential runoff, following a chaotic first round of voting.

Peru’s National Jury of Elections (JNE) confirmed the results of the first round of voting on Sunday, with Fujimori taking first place with 17 percent of the vote. She was followed by Sanchez with 12 percent.

The electoral body also acknowledged problems with the first round of voting, which was marred by count delays and logistical issues. It pledged to make fixes before the runoff next month.

“We cannot deny that there were many difficulties and flaws in the logistical deployment by the organising entity, ONPE,” JNE President Roberto Burneo said during a press conference.

“We have incorporated all the lessons learned from the first round and are strengthening oversight,” he added.

The elections body stated that a committee of national and international experts will be convened to ensure a smoother process during the second round of voting.

Shortcomings in the first round on April 12 led to voting in some places being extended to the next day.

The election-day hiccups underscored widespread discontent and mistrust with the country’s political system and sparked allegations of fraud from several candidates.

Election observers have acknowledged frustrations but cautioned that there is no evidence of fraud.

Far-right candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who came in third place with 11.9 percent of the vote, has called for the first round of voting to be annulled. In a social media post on Sunday, he said he would not accept the results.

“The electoral fraud in Peru has just been consummated,” he wrote. “We will not accept results that are the product of fraud and corruption.”

The controversy over the first round of voting is the latest incident to underscore Peru’s ongoing political crisis, with nine different presidents holding power in the last decade due to frequent impeachment efforts by the country’s Congress.

The country’s public prosecutor’s office announced charges for financial crime against Sanchez last week, hours after election authorities announced he was on track to advance to the runoff.