Fujimori promises 'order' after winning Peru presidency

Peru's conservative president-elect Keiko Fujimori has vowed to restore "order and hope" after narrowly defeating left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez.

Ms Fujimori won the 7 June presidential runoff, outpolling Mr Sanchez by less than 50,000 votes out of the more than 18 million ballots cast.

"Each time we draw closer to starting on the path of order and hope for all Peruvians," she wrote on X after being proclaimed the winner.

Peru's National Electoral Jury is scheduled to officially announce a winner on 3 July after weeks spent reviewing contested ballots.

The 51-year-old daughter of late president Alberto Fujimori secured the top office after finishing runner-up in her three previous attempts.

Alberto Fujimori, who ruled from 1990 to 2000, won praise for crushing Maoist rebels and taming hyperinflation but was later disgraced, exiled and jailed for corruption and crimes against humanity.

Ms Fujimori will take office on 28 July for a five-year term.

She is the latest in a string of South American leaders to ride a wave of right-wing sentiment and anger over rising crime to their country's top office, the others including Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Chile.

With extortion gangs and contract killings on the rise, Fujimori vowed a strong hand, like that of her father.

Mr Sanchez had yet to react to the announcement of the results. At one point, he took the lead in the vote count but Fujimori soon surpassed him.

Sanchez had warned he would not recognize a government headed by his rival, alleging administrative irregularities in the handling of the overseas portion of the vote.

Fujimori acknowledged that her country is deeply divided.

"We have the responsibility of listening to both sides. The doors for dialogue are open," she said.