Peru election dispute escalates as Sanchez rejects Fujimori victory

Peru's presidential race has entered a new phase of dispute after left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez denounced the runoff as fraudulent and said he would not recognise a Fujimori presidency. He made the remarks at a news conference in Lima on Tuesday, while calling for protests over the weekend. The challenge centres on the narrow lead held by his rival, Keiko Fujimori, as the vote count continues.

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With more than 99.7% of ballots counted, Fujimori is ahead with 50.11% support, while Sanchez has 49.89%, according to the latest figures cited in the dispute. The margin between the two candidates is about 40,687 votes. Sanchez also said results from 119 consular offices should be nullified, arguing that a procedure change made overseas ballots vulnerable to manipulation.

Sanchez said he would not recognise a Fujimori government and accused authorities of manipulating votes cast abroad to favour a right-wing administration. In a social media post after the news conference, he said the country would enter a state of political and social struggle, describing it as a movement of popular and patriotic resistance. His comments add pressure to an already tense count that has not yet been formally completed.

The dispute matters because Peru is already marked by repeated political instability. Sanchez said the current situation reflects a system that has seen nine presidents in power over the past decade. The close result also raises the stakes for the final certification of the vote, with the next president due to be inaugurated on 28 July, Peru's independence day.

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A key point of contention is the handling of votes cast abroad. Peru set up about 2,506 polling tables overseas, and the government estimates that more than 1.2 million overseas voters are on the roll, or about 4.4% of the total electorate. Sanchez criticised a recent decision by election authorities to remove a requirement that tally sheets from overseas polling stations be scanned and digitised, saying the change weakened safeguards.

Authorities have said they intend to complete the tally within 30 days of the election. That leaves open the possibility of further legal and political confrontation before the inauguration date. What remains unclear is whether Sanchez's challenge will lead to formal action over the overseas vote, and whether his call for protests will draw significant support over the weekend.

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