MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Three Peruvian presidential hopefuls technically tied

With just over three weeks countdown to April 9 presidential election the Peruvian electorate is baffling candidates and public opinion pollsters. The latest poll this week in Lima shows three leading candidates technically tied.

National Unity Alliance contender Lourdes Flores continues to be front runner with 23.6% followed closely by populist former Army officer Ollanta Humala from Union for Peru with 23,3%, and Social-democrat Apra Alan García 22.8%.

Former caretaker president Valentin Panigua figured with 6.1% and Martha Chavez, running for the group Alliance for the Future led by former president Alberto Fujimori, currently under arrest in Chile, garnered 5%. The rest of the 21 presidential candidates are below 2%.

The Indice poll surveyed 4.880 homes in Peru's 21 regions, 37 provinces and 140 districts (where 70% of the electorate live) and was done March 8/10 with a plus-minus 4.5% marginal error.

However 21% of voters remain undecided, of which a fifth said they did not like any of the 21 presidential hopefuls and the rest arguing they don't have "enough information" to make a choice.

The electorate apparent changing mood is having an impact in investors and the Lima Stock Exchange. When nationalist-populist Humala surges the Stock exchange index tumbles and the local currency Sol weakens against the US dollar. Something similar but in opposite direction happens when pro-business former Congress woman Lourdes Flores takes off in the polls.