MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru challengers hold TV debate

The two men vying to become Peru's next leader have faced each other in a debate two weeks ahead of the country's run-off presidential election.

Analysts had expected ex-President Alan Garcia to give a knockout punch to his less-experienced rival Ollanta Humala.

But the nationalist Mr Humala showed his mettle and neither candidate came across as the outright winner.

"We want to leave the past behind, to build a new power partition that will include all people," said Mr Humala.

The campaign has been characterised by mud-slinging and allegations of foul play by both sides.

Until this debate neither candidate had really given concrete proposals to issues that really mattered to Peruvians - better health and education, reducing poverty and ending corruption.

Mr Garcia was expected to win the debate, being an experienced politician who has won over many undecided voters with his charisma.

In contrast, Mr Humala has come across as a poor speaker with a weak grasp of policy and Peruvian history.

Mr Humala certainly did not have the public-speaking skills to match his rival.

However, he was firm on his plans to give Peruvians more power over the country's vast natural resources and to pursue policies of the type favoured by Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez rather than the free market economics favoured by Washington.

Mr Garcia, whose presidency was marked by rampant inflation and terrorism, was quick to apologise for his past errors but said Peru could not afford to isolate investors with the radical nationalist policies of his rival.

Peruvians have so far been focused on the obvious weaknesses of the two men.

Now they have something more concrete to think about and that may help the almost 25% of the population who have so far not made up their minds.