Peru election: Candidates neck and neck as count goes on

Peru's presidential election was neck and neck on Monday as leftist candidate Pedro Castillo slightly trailed his conservative rival Keiko Fujimori in a runoff vote, according to initial results.

Fujimori, the daughter of disgraced former president Alberto Fujimori, has some 50.2% of ballots counted, according to the official tally on Monday.

Castillo stood on 49.8%, with some 92% of the vote counted and the gap tightening with late votes expected to be more rural, favoring the leftist candidate.

It mirrors an Ipsos exit poll released late on Sunday that showed that there was less than half a percentage point between the two candidates.

Ipsos — whose exit poll does not include overseas voters — described its own forecast as "still a statistical draw," adding that the results could change again.

How did people react to the exit polls?

Castillo responded to the first exit poll by calling on his supporters to "defend every vote" in a message on Twitter.

"I call on the Peruvian people from all corners of the country to peacefully take to the streets and vigilantly defend democracy," the candidate added.

Protests turned to scenes of joy, however, when the revised exit poll results were released. Both candidates have said they will respect the official results.

DW's South America correspondent Johan Ramierz reported that large crowds were celebrating outside both Pedro Castillos's and Keiko Fujimori's campaign headquarters.

Who are the candidates?

Left-wing candidate Castillo, 51, was a schoolteacher who entered politics by leading a national teachers' strike in 2017.

Castillo is seeking to rewrite the constitution that was approved under the leadership of Fujimori's father so that "human rights have to be a priority" and "to end all inequalities."

Critics have slammed him as a "communist" on various social media platforms, and labeled him as a sympathizer of the militant insurgency group the Shining Path. Castillo has repeatedly denied any ties to the group.

Voters across Peru, where voting is mandatory, had to make a choice between polar opposites.

Fujimori, 46, is the candidate of the right-wing Popular Force party. The conservative former congresswoman was the runner-up in the 2011 and 2016 presidential election run-offs.

Her father, who governed between 1990 and 2000, is serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and human rights abuses and remains a divisive figure in Peruvian politics.

Fujimori has promised various bonuses to people, including a $2,500 (€2,055) one-time payment to each family with at least one COVID-19 victim. She has also proposed distributing 40% of a tax for the extraction of minerals, oil or gas for families who live near those areas.

Experts fret over possible uncertainty

In a note sent to clients on Monday, analysts at the US investment bank J.P. Morgan warned that it might be days before the final outcome of the election was clear, and both candidates could wait until conceding defeat.

"We seem poised for a number of days of heightened uncertainty ahead," the paper said.

The eventual victor will face huge economic challenges, with Peru suffering from a deep recession and one of the worst coronavirus fatality rates in the world.

Observers said that the close run nature of the vote means the next president would have to look to work with their opponents.

"Whoever wins will have to dialogue with the (current interim) government and other political forces. We are in a polarized state," said Lima-based political analyst Andres Calderon. "Right now the candidates need to remain calm."

ab, fb/sri (AFP, Reuters, EFE)