Keiko Fujimori leads Peru vote count after delayed balloting

April 13 (UPI) -- Keiko Fujimori led Peru's preliminary presidential vote count after an election disrupted by logistical failures forced authorities to postpone voting for thousands of citizens until Monday.

Official early returns Sunday showed Fujimori of the conservative Popular Force party with 16.95% of the vote with about 53% of ballots counted.

She was followed by far-right candidate Rafael López Aliaga of Popular Renewal with 14.5% and Jorge Nieto of the Good Government Party with 12.8%.

The vote remains incomplete after electoral authorities delayed balloting for about 63,000 voters in several areas who were unable to cast ballots Sunday because of technical problems and delays in distributing election materials.

Related

• Peru wraps up election campaign as Keiko Fujimori leads polls
• Uncertainty dominates Peru's presidential race
• 'Corruption kills': The spread of ethical decay

The postponement extended uncertainty in a presidential race with 35 candidates.

Piero Corvetto, head of Peru's National Office of Electoral Processes, acknowledged the failures and offered "personal and institutional apologies," blaming contractor Servicios Generales Galaga for failing to meet its obligations, according to local newspaper El Comercio.

Because no presidential candidate is expected to win more than half of valid votes, Peru will hold a runoff election June 7.

If preliminary results hold, Fujimori would advance to a presidential runoff for the fourth consecutive election after doing so in 2011, 2016 and 2021.

The daughter of late former President Alberto Fujimori remains one of Peru's most prominent political figures, though she continues to face strong voter opposition despite repeated runoff appearances.

López Aliaga alleged the election process was fraudulent, claiming delays in opening polling stations and shortages of election materials in areas where he has strong support were intentional, according to Infobae.

The Popular Renewal candidate filed a criminal complaint against Corvetto, accusing him of dereliction of duty and causing "electoral chaos."

Peru's election took place amid prolonged political instability after a decade in which the country has had eight presidents, repeated clashes between the executive branch and Congress and persistent institutional turmoil.

The election also marks the return of a bicameral legislature after three decades of a unicameral Congress.

Supporters of the change say restoring a Senate and lower house could reduce impulsive lawmaking and promote more deliberative debate while allowing immediate congressional reelection for the first time in years.

The vote comes as Peruvians express broad frustration with the political class after years of corruption scandals and repeated government crises.

An estimated 81% of Peruvians say they do not feel represented by any political party, according to recent polling.

Public dissatisfaction has been compounded by rising crime and an economy that has remained resilient but has failed to close inequality gaps widened after the COVID-19 pandemic.