Peru's leftist Sanchez to face Fujimori in June presidential runoff

LIMA, May 15 - Peru's leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez will face Keiko Fujimori in the June runoff after narrowly securing second place in April's first‑round vote, official results showed Friday, with 100% of votes tallied.

The month-long count led to allegations of fraud in the politically turbulent South American nation, notably from right-wing candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who narrowly trailed Sanchez for much of the counting process.

Fujimori, the daughter of late former President Alberto Fujimori, is seeking the presidency for a fourth time after topping the fragmented field.

Sanchez, a congressman who is running with the backing of jailed former leftist President Pedro Castillo, stood at 12.03%, narrowly ahead of Lopez Aliaga, the ultra-conservative former mayor of Lima, with 11.90%.

Sanchez had a near 21,210-vote lead over Lopez Aliaga.

The prolonged count since the April 12 first-round prompted the resignation of the country's top electoral official, who is now under investigation by the public prosecutor. European Union observers have said they found no concrete evidence of fraud.

Running for the left‑leaning Together for Peru party, Sanchez, 57, emerged as a surprise contender in a crowded first-round race, calling for a new constitution to establish a “plurinational” state and courting disaffected rural and Indigenous voters.

An April 26 Ipsos opinion poll put Fujimori and Sanchez in a tie for the runoff, with each projected to win 38% of the vote. Analysts pointed to the high level of rejection both candidates face.

"The second round may be bitterly polarizing," said Eileen Gavin at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft. "Peruvians are actually crying out for more of a moderate, national unity government after a decade of political and social strife." REUTERS