MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Humala closing in on Garcia in Peruvian runoff

With just over a week for the Peruvian presidential run off (Sunday June 4), former president Alan Garcia is still ahead in vote intention but ultranationalist candidate Ollanta Humala is closing in, according to the latest public opinion poll released in Lima.

The survey was done by the prestigious Catholic University of Lima and shows Mr. García with 42% of the vote, Mr. Humala with 35% and 18% undecided or blank, which converted into valid voting means 54% and 46%.

This is the first time since the second round took off that Mr. Humala has managed to narrow the difference to less than ten percentage points.

The opinion poll was done in such a way that it helps to establish voters' profiles and one of the results is that Mr. Garcia has a clear majority among those who believe democracy is the best government system (53% against 26%), but Mr. Humala receives a clear majority, (55% against 24%) from those who argue that sometimes a dictatorship might be needed.

Mr. Humala also has more support among the electorate that describes itself as "left wing", while Mr. Garcia has ample backing among the so called centre and "right wing" voters. Furthermore Mr Garcia is clearly ahead among those who support a market economy, although there's a similar support for both candidates from voters who defend a stronger government involvement in the economy.

This is the first time the Catholic University has made public a runoff opinion poll so there's no chance of establishing a tendency.

However all surveys so far released show Mr Garcia with a relatively comfortable advantage of several points over Mr Humala, particularly following the candidates debate last Sunday which turned out to be an oratory display for the former president.

Mr Humala has bitterly complained that there's a concerted effort form the Peruvian media to show him behind in the public opinion polls because Mr. García is the candidate "of the rich and powerful".

The former Army Colonel, who was the most voted in the first round, has also suggested that "the infamous alliance" of the rich and powerful could even rig the election to ensure that their candidate, Mr. Garcia is elected.