MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peruvian candidates promise to respect electoral results

In the final stretch to Sunday's run off, Peruvian presidential candidates in a more conciliatory attitude promised respect for electoral results and rejected allegations of submission to “United States, Venezuela or Cuba”.

Social democrat and former president Alan Garcia, who leads in vote intention, promised in the event of victory, to act with "autonomy, pragmatism and a concerted spirit" well aware of a "strange ease" feeling, since a significant percentage of his voters in Sunday's runoff will do so "looking aside".

García was referring to the fact that many Peruvians see him as "the least of two evils" since his opponent, former Army Colonel Ollanta Humala is perceived as an ultranationalist candidate, who has promised to take over the country's resources and rejects market friendly policies.

Winning or loosing "I will look up my rival to talk", said Garcia adding he was willing to be part of a "nationalist" government, in the event of a Humala victory, maybe heading the "Agriculture ministry or any other post".

Humala who has been accused of (ideological and financial) closeness with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez said his militants would not react violently if they are defeated and promised to respect electoral results.

However he did mention the possibility of fraud given the absence of his party's delegates in many of the voting booths, contrary to what happens with García's APRA party and its strong organization covering the whole Peruvian territory. Humala was referring to claims of irregularities in the first round when Mr. Garcia defeated the Conservative candidate by a minimum difference.

But if Humala wins, he will be "nobody's pawn", he emphasized, rejecting a recent book from a former advisor of the Fujimori regime, Vladimiro Montesinos, "Chess pawn", which claims Humala is a candidate "made up" by the Venezuelan and Cuban intelligence systems.

"Not by the US Embassy, or Cuba or Venezuela, nobody's pawn", stressed Humala who nevertheless claimed that a Garcia victory would leave Peru "under the control of United States".

Further on he said Garcia must prove he's not a "thief" or "corrupt" adding ironically he would only include him in his administration if he "gives evidence of his honesty".

"We're going to strive for regional policies with all Latinamerican countries; we're going to strengthen regional organizations; we believe in the Andean Community of Nations and integration", promised Humala who's government program includes reviewing contracts with multinational corporations and drafting a new Constitution.

Humala even had his spokesperson Carlos Tapia blast President Chavez "for meddling in Peruvian politics".

Both candidates are concentrating their closing rallies Wednesday and Thursday evening in different quarters of Lima, which in the first round was more faithful to García but still has the highest percentage of undecided votes according to the latest opinion polls. A third of Peru's population lives in metropolitan Lima.