Lima, June 16: On the 6th of June, presidential elections took place in the South American country Peru. Over 16 candidates participated in the election and The Free Peru Party (led by Pedro Castillo) came first with 19.1% of the total votes. The Popular Force Party (led by Keiko Fujimori) was in the second place with 13.4% of the total votes. In numerical terms, the difference between the two candidates was a relatively minor 44,058 votes.
The results, however, have been questioned by Ms. Fujimori, who has accused Mr. Castillo of using fraudulent techniques to win. While Ms. Fujimori has not yet provided any evidence, she alleges that Mr. Castillo stole votes from the rural areas. The electoral committee has decided to review (recount and remove all ballots that don’t mark a particular party) the votes and this will take several weeks. The election results will not be officially declared till the review process is completed.
International observers have said that there is no evidence of fraud, and the election was clean. Fujimori’s powerful supporters (from lawmakers to former military officials) are calling for another election. Meanwhile, Mr. Castillo’s supporters, who are overwhelmingly from the rural part of the country, have been gathering in front of the electoral court in Lima to show support for their leader.