
Ultra-leftist candidate Pedro Castillo of the Peru Libre party and perennial conservative contender Keiko Fujimori looked poised to advance to the runoff after Peru's National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) had counted 93.479% of the votes.

Ultra left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo of the Perú Libre party was surprisingly ahead on Monday morning after the first round of Peru's presidential elections, but the names of those advancing to the runoff will not be known for about a month, officials said.

Peru's opposition leader Keiko Fujimori has said that she would pardon her jailed father, former president Alberto Fujimori, if she wins April's general election. The 82-year-old Fujimori is serving a 25-year sentence for crimes against humanity and corruption.

The Electoral Experts Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) congratulated Peruvian citizens for a peaceful vote in which they expressed their will in a decisive way. The Mission also congratulated electoral authorities on their ability to organize in a short-term the national referendum on December 9.

Peru's president is facing a standoff with lawmakers over his call for a referendum on anti-corruption measures and constitutional reforms.