The right-wing Keiko Fujimori regained a slight advantage over the left-wing Roberto Sánchez in the close official vote count of the second presidential round in Peru, a contest whose end is still uncertain.

With 98.21% of the minutes counted, Fujimori had 50% of the votes compared to Sánchez's 49.99%, according to results from the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) published on its website.

Boosted by votes in the United States and Japan, candidate Fujimori, 51, leads Sánchez, 57, by a narrow margin of a few hundred votes.

The electoral authority reported that the final count “could take between two weeks or until the end of the month,” depending on the observations of the minutes that are recorded.

To declare a winner, in addition, contested records containing some 480,000 votes must be reviewed, which can take days.

“We are going to wait for the official figures but without a doubt, when the count increases, especially the records that are coming from abroad, it gives us a lot, a lot of encouragement,” Keiko Fujimori told reporters.

The presidential candidate called herself “optimistic and prudent” (…) and will respect the result, whatever it may be.”

Sánchez rejects new scenario

Faced with the new scenario, Sánchez denounced that there are “maneuvers and wills to distort democracy,” alluding to a “press sector” that attacks him.

“The electoral results must be respected, regardless of wishes or not,” Sánchez explained to the press, without ruling out a call for peaceful demonstrations.

The count falls within the Peruvian standard. The final result of the 2021 runoff between the leftist Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori was known six weeks after the vote. Castillo obtained 50.12% compared to 49.87% for Fujimori.

An electoral observation mission from the European Union noted that the second round took place in a “calm and orderly” manner, in the context of a polarized campaign.

The runoff pitted the daughter of the late former president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) of the Fuerza Popular party, with Sánchez, from Together for Peru and political heir of former president Pedro Castillo, imprisoned after a failed self-coup d'état in 2022.

It is the fourth time that Fujimori competes for the presidency, while for Sánchez it is his first nomination.

The winner will replace interim president José María Balcázar on July 28 for a five-year term.