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Peru: The Harsh Times I Fear Are Coming

The process could take a month before a new president is officially declared, but the challenge does not end when the vote count ends.

By Daniel Zovatto (Confidencial)

HAVANA TIMES — Elections are supposed to fulfill an essential function in a democracy: resolving political conflicts peacefully through the ballot box. However, there are times when elections do not settle disputes but instead deepen them. Peru appears to be heading toward precisely one of those moments.

As of 12:35 p.m. on June 11, with 98.23% of the vote tally sheets from the Sunday, June 7 election counted, Keiko Fujimori, the candidate of the right-wing Fuerza Popular, had received 9,033,584 votes, while leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez (Juntos por el Peru) had 9,032,662 — a difference of less than one thousand votes.

The result remains undecided and could still change as the remaining tally sheets are processed, especially those from overseas voters, and as the final contested tally sheets (under second review) are examined by the Special Electoral Juries.

The electoral authorities themselves have warned that the process could take up to a month before a new president can be officially proclaimed.

The razor-thin margin, the review of disputed tally sheets, and the possibility of challenges and appeals from both campaigns point........

© Havana Times