MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ollanta Humala admits defeat

Ollanta Humala admitted early Monday Alan Garcia's victory in the Sunday Peruvian presidential run-off.

"Following on our democratic commitment we want to publicly announce that we admit the results from the Nacional Electoral Processes Office and we salute those forces that have competed with us, represented by Mr. Alan García", said Humala when ballot counting showed he had 44.54% of the vote to his contender's 55.45%.

However Mr. Humala said his political project is very much alive and "advancing" and called on those interested in creating a nationalist, popular and democratic front encompassing left wing groupings, social organizations and "all those citizens striving for a change in Peru",

"This is a day of victory: we've managed in such short time to awaken so many consciences", said Humala.

Nationalists must feel winners and proud because "we've garnered a large social majority and today we are renewing our commitment to work and serve the country, defend the nation and its natural resources", he underlined.

Mid morning Monday and with 84% of votes counted, the Electoral Processes Office announced that Mr. Garcia remained ahead with 54.69% of the vote and Mr. Humala, 45.30%, which is equivalent to 6.16 million votes and 5.1 million votes.

Meantime followers of incoming president Garcia and his APRA party (American Popular Revolutionary Alliance) kept celebrating in Lima poking fun of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who openly supported candidate Humala and during the campaign called Garcia "thief, corrupt, cheat, rascal" and prayed to "God almighty" and his wisdom to save Peru from such a "major scoundrel".

"Listen Chavez, Alan is the winner" chanted the crowds in downtown Lima.

Meanwhile in Santo Domingo Peru demanded the Organization of American States, OAS, to take action against President Chavez for having "intervened" in Peruvian internal affairs.

"OAS can't remain indifferent or impassive before a reiterated interventionist practice that now is damaging Peru, but that in the long term can affect democratic stability in the whole hemisphere", said Peruvian Foreign Affairs minister Oscar Maúrtua.

"One thing is uncommon language in international relations", but another completely different is "the clear interference in the internal affairs of another county, and more precisely, in the Peruvian electoral process".