LIMA - Roberto Sanchez, the left-wing candidate in Peru's presidential runoff, said on Tuesday he will refuse to recognise the final result of the June 7 election, alleging fraud as his conservative rival Keiko Fujimori maintained a razor-thin advantage.
Speaking at a press conference, Sanchez asserted that "fraud is underway" and said the electoral process was being skewed in favour of Fujimori. He accused Peru's national electoral authority, ONPE, and Fujimori's campaign of irregularities in ballots cast overseas, which he said disproportionately benefited Fujimori. "We believe there's been a manipulation of the vote," Sanchez added.
Electoral bodies have spent several weeks examining contested ballots from the runoff. As of early Tuesday, 99.72% of the total vote had been counted, with Fujimori leading 50.11% to 49.89% - a margin that leaves the outcome unresolved and raises the prospect of ongoing political turmoil.
Sanchez said he would not recognise a government led by Fujimori and urged his supporters to mobilise, calling for further street demonstrations planned for Saturday. His remarks signal the potential for a protracted dispute over the result in what has become one of the closest presidential races in Peru's history.
Requests for comment to ONPE, Peru's national electoral jury (JNE) and Fujimori's campaign did not receive immediate replies, according to reports.
Legislative results from the simultaneous congressional elections show Sanchez's party, Together for Peru, won the second-largest share of seats. The party secured 32 of 130 seats in the lower house and 14 of 60 seats in the Senate. Fujimori's party emerged as the largest congressional bloc, poised to hold 22 seats in the Senate and 41 in the lower house.
Fujimori, daughter of the late former President Alberto Fujimori, is pursuing her fourth campaign for the presidency. During the counting process, Sanchez led as rural ballots were tallied, but Fujimori narrowed the gap as overseas votes were processed. Given the narrowness of the contest, both candidates had avoided declaring victory or conceding defeat until all votes were fully counted.
The dispute over contested ballots and Sanchez's refusal to accept the result add uncertainty to Peru's political outlook as officials work toward a final certification of the runoff outcome.