MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru: Fujimori slightly ahead but too soon to celebrate – exit polls show otherwise

Both candidates agreed on the need to “be prudent” until the final official results are known.

Conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori was slightly ahead of leftist Pedro Castillo Monday dawn as provisional results of Peru's presidential runoff were being announced by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE).

With 76.507% of the votes counted, the Fuerza Popular candidate Fujimori was edging Peru Libre's Castillo 51.943% to 48.057%.

ONPE head Piero Corvetto warned that these still “are the results of the advances of the premises closest to our 104 computer centres.” “They are urban. It is necessary to process rural places and the vote abroad”, he added. He also said that there were 11,897 polling stations, 86,488 polling stations and 511,514 polling station members called for this Sunday's elections.

Castillo addressed his supporters from Tacabamba, in Cajamarca, where he received the Ipsos electoral flash and the 100% quick count from the pollster, both broadcast on América Televisión. From there he asked everyone to remain calm. “I want to salute the Peruvian people for their loyalty, for this democratic feat, for their support, and also tell them that we must remain calm, we must be prudent. The people are wise, they know what they are doing, they are intelligent. Comrades, brothers, dear compatriots who are in the interior of the country, I call for the broadest sanity, what we have heard is not official,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fujimori, from Camacho, pointed out that “this campaign is over and it is essential to build bridges and dialogue.” “The results [exit polls] have been received with joy, but it is essential to remain prudent. [...] I ask the representatives to defend the vote until the end,” she said.

According to the Ipsos quick count at 100%, broadcast on América Televisión this Sunday, Pedro Castillo achieved 50.2% and his contestant, Keiko Fujimori, obtained 49.8%.

This Friday, President Francisco Sagasti invoked the presidential candidates and his parties to scrupulously respect the will of the people expressed at the polls.

“I call on all citizens so that as soon as election day is over, we maintain serenity and wait for the official results of the electoral authorities. I especially invoke the candidates and their political organizations to scrupulously respect the will of the people expressed at the polls,” he said.