Fujimori edges back into lead in Peru's election

Conservative Keiko Fujimori retook the lead in Peru's tight presidential race late ​on Wednesday as the remaining overseas ballots pushed her past ‌leftist rival Roberto Sanchez.
Fujimori now has the slimmest of edges with 50.002% to Sanchez's 49.998%, a lead of about 650 votes, with 98.21% of polling stations reporting, or ​about 18 million votes, according to Peru's ONPE electoral authority.

Only a ​sliver of votes remain to be counted, but 1.76% of ⁠polling stations representing about 400,000 votes have been flagged for judicial review - ​a process that could take weeks.

Most of the contested ballots are from ​the Lima metropolitan region, Fujimori's stronghold.

The two candidates have been neck-and-neck throughout the count, with Fujimori leading exit polls and Sanchez being slightly ahead in the Ipsos quick count, which ​has accurately predicted previous races.

Fujimori and Sanchez had called for calm and ​patience throughout the count, but Sanchez - who overtook Fujimori on Monday, buoyed by rural votes - ‌began ⁠to harden his tone on Wednesday and called for a meeting with international observers to discuss "strange, unusual and questionable developments."

Some Sanchez supporters gathered outside Peru's National Election Jury (JNE) offices in central Lima on Wednesday but were dispersed ​with water cannons.

This is Fujimori's ​fourth consecutive runoff ⁠after losing the last two by just fractions of a percent. In 2021, Fujimori - the daughter of polarising ​former president Alberto Fujimori - lost to jailed President Pedro Castillo ​by around ⁠45,000 votes.

Sanchez, who served as a minister under Castillo, has been his political heir in this race, donning the same signature cowboy hat and waiting for early ⁠results ​outside the prison where Castillo is being held.

Fujimori ​has given few statements during the count, but has repeatedly said she's optimistic.

- Reuters