Attentions Focuses on Peru Run-off

Attention is focusing on the runners up in the presidential elections in Peru, after Sunday’s polling failed to produce a winning candidate with more than 50% of the vote. The second place in this tightly fought race ensures a place in the second-round run-off. As of late yesterday, Monday, with 76% of the votes counted, the leading candidate was nationalist Ollanta Humala polling 29.75%, followed by former president Alan García on 25% and conservative Lourdes Flores on 24.54%. The markets had widely foreseen a second-round battle between Humala and Flores with Flores the victor. The run-off is slated for May 28 or June 4, according to government officials, allowing time for counting, recounting and challenges in such a close race. Meanwhile, voting for Congressional seats is also unlikely to return a clear majority, with Humala’s Unión por el Perú set to take 25 out of 120; García’s APRA likely to gain 24 and Flores’ Unidad Nacional 19 seats. The remaining seats will be shared between two, possibly three other parties.