Peru confirms runoff between Fujimori and Sánchez in an election marked by delays and complaints

Roberto Sánchez consolidated his growth in the country’s interior and will face Keiko Fujimori in June, in a setting shaped by polarization and the political attrition accumulated over recent years.

On May 13, it was finally determined who will face Keiko Fujimori in Peru’s presidential runoff on June 7. With 99.94% of tally sheets counted, it was confirmed that Juntos por el Perú, led by Roberto Sánchez, had secured an irreversible lead over Rafael López Aliaga, following an election marked by delays, complaints, irregularities and deep political fragmentation.

Sánchez beat López Aliaga by around 20,000 votes, a margin that could no longer be overturned by the tally sheets still pending review. The Juntos por el Perú candidate obtained 12% of the valid votes, López Aliaga came in just below with 11.9%, and Keiko Fujimori, the Fuerza Popular candidate, remained in first place with 17.1% of the vote. 

The Juntos por el Perú candidate had strong support in the country’s interior, winning in 11 departments, among them Amazonas, Apurímac, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Puno and San Martín, and in several of them he achieved very decisive results that helped him overtake López Aliaga. 

In the department of Cajamarca, Sánchez won more than 41% of the vote, while in Huancavelica he reached more than 43%, one of the highest figures in the entire election. In Apurímac, meanwhile, he won almost 41% of the vote, and in Amazonas he exceeded 36%.  

The leftist candidate also highlighted that in departments where the results were tighter, such as San Martín and Moquegua, he managed to hold on to small leads that were decisive for the final national result.

A complex electoral landscape

The elections were held on April 12, and the presidential outcome only came a month later amid delays in the count, complaints of irregularities and a landscape of deep political fragmentation.

Some international media outlets present for the first round noted that election day suffered logistical problems, delays in opening polling stations and a lack of materials at various voting centers. At the same time, disillusionment with the political leadership and uncertainty about the future of democracy in the country were evident in the streets.

In Lima, the Peruvian capital, thousands of people were unable to vote on election Sunday, and the authorities extended voting and opened new polling stations in the affected areas the following Monday. International organizations closely observed the election and monitored the vote-counting process.

The OAS Electoral Observation Mission

The Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Peru welcomed the results of the April 12 presidential election. The mission, headed by former Secretary General of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) Víctor Rico Frontaura, expressed “recognition to the citizens and political actors who awaited the election results with patience and democratic maturity,” it said in a statement.

The OAS/EOM also invited the electoral authorities of the Peruvian system, as well as political and social actors, to carry out a process of responsibility and democratic commitment that avoids confrontations, threats or rhetoric that generates social division.

The OAS/EOM in Peru also made a special appeal to the competing candidacies to base their campaigns on ideas and clear government proposals. It added in the statement that for the presidential runoff the mission will be made up of more than 90 observers and will be present throughout the national territory.

The runoff

Following the publication of the official results, both candidates are gearing up for the runoff campaign. This time, Sánchez and Fujimori have politically opposite profiles; the challenge will be to win over a population shaped by polarization and political and institutional instability.

According to a poll published by Ipsos, Fujimori has 39% of voting intentions, while Sánchez has 34%. However, it is noted that these numbers could change, and that two regions would decide the runoff.

Along these lines, political analyst Enrique Castillo stated that, in his view, “from what I see so far, the big deciders of the campaign are going to be Lima, because of Rafael López Aliaga’s voters, and Arequipa, because of Nieto’s voters. I think they are the ones who are going to tip the balance,” he said.

For Keiko Fujimori it will be the fourth time competing in a runoff; for Roberto Sánchez, the first. Expectations now rest on a second round that will seek to set the political course of a country marked by years of institutional crisis. 

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia