MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Toledo Wins Peru Presidential Vote.

Alejandro Toledo rose from a poor childhood as a shoeshine boy to become Peru's first freely elected president of native Indian descent on Sunday, defeating controversial ex-president Alan Garcia.

The election came seven months after Peruvians drove authoritarian President Alberto Fujimori from office in a corruption scandal, and signaled a return to democratic voting after elections tainted by fraud. With few reported incidents of trouble at polling places, international observers called it Peru's cleanest elections in years.

''The time has come to extend Dr. Toledo my congratulations for his triumph on this democratic day,'' Garcia said, offering his help in the new administration. With 70 percent of the vote counted, Toledo had 51.6 percent to 48.3 percent for Garcia, said Fernando Tuesta, the nation's top election official. Toledo smiled after exit polls were released, but said he would wait for more complete results before commenting. Toledo's running-mate praised the outcome. ''This is a great stroke of luck for Peru, and I'm very excited,'' said Raul Diez Canseco, Toledo's first vice-president. Peru has two vice-presidential posts.

International monitors - including former President Carter - had said previous elections were deeply flawed. On Sunday, there were few reported incidents of trouble at polling places. ''I want to congratulate the Peruvian people for a clean election and a demonstration of civic maturity,'' U.S. Ambassador John Hamilton said.

Toledo may well be the first president in Latin America to win after making Indian rights a top campaign issue. There have been other Peruvian presidents of native Indian descent, but they took power in military coups.

The 55-year-old capitalized on his dark, chiseled Indian features and short stature to appeal to a mostly poor native Indian and mixed-race population that accounts for more than 80 percent of Peru's 26 million people.

Toledo's strength came also from his leadership role in the campaign to unseat Fujimori, whose regime collapsed in November amid mounting corruption scandals. Toledo withdrew from a runoff against Fujimori in May of last year, accusing him of planning to rig the results. Like Garcia, Toledo campaigned largely on a populist platform. He has pledged to create 2.5 million jobs, raise salaries for public workers and lower taxes. ''He headed the fight against Fujimori's corrupt government