Peruvian election board decides to press ahead with vote

May 25, 2000
Web posted at: 10:15 p.m. EDT (2215 GMT)

In this story: Attempt to storm election board office U.S.-based monitors pull out Will election be recognized? RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

LIMA, Peru -- Despite a day of violent protests, Peru's top electoral body has decided Sunday's presidential run-off vote will go ahead.

The National Election Board announced Thursday that it "exhorts the people to elect their next president and vice president on May 28, 2000."

The runoff between President Alberto Fujimori and challenger Alejandro Toledo follows a first round of voting marred by charges of irregularities and ballot rigging.

International monitors, the opposition candidate and the thousands of protesters who took to the streets of the capital in violent demonstrations Thursday have demanded the second round's postponement.

"I'm very sorry that President Alberto Fujimori and the National Election Board have decided to push the country to a crisis with unforeseen consequences," Toledo said.

Toledo has called on his supporters to boycott Sunday's ballot after he failed in a move to have voting pushed back by three weeks to correct what he claimed were imbalances in the system.

Thousands of students and workers who support his stance clashed with police in Lima's central square after tearing up paving stones to throw at the walls of the Government Palace.

Attempt to storm election board office

The protesters earlier tried to storm the headquarters of the National Election Board. Riot police repelled them with tear gas and surrounded the building.

At least one person was injured by the canisters thrown into the crowd by police.

The angry protesters also burned tires in the street.

The protests followed a call from international election monitors that Sunday's runoff between Fujimori and Toledo be postponed for 10 days due to irregularities it perceived in the government's preparations for the election.

U.S.-based monitors pull out

The joint delegation from the U.S-based National Democratic Institute and Carter Center has canceled plans to monitor the runoff.

"The election on May 28 will not meet minimal international standards for a credible, democratic election," said Barry Levitt, a senior political analyst with the delegation.

Eduardo Stein, head of the election-monitoring mission of the Organization of American States, also said his mission would not carry out an independent vote count of Sunday's election because of the irregularities.

"This delegation cannot commit itself to the May 28 vote. We insist that for May 28, this mission does not have the capacity to carry out what they (government officials) have asked for," Stein told reporters.

OAS monitors issued a report earlier on Thursday saying that testing of the country's ballot-counting computers on Wednesday had "a positive result."

But the organization has criticized a series of other irregularities in the electoral process, including the lack of training for vote counters.

Opposition supporters have made charges of vote-rigging since April's first round, when continual delays in the count sparked street protests.

Toledo has demanded a three-week postponement of the runoff and has said he will not recognize the result unless his demand is met.

Before the election board ruling was announced, the U.S. government expressed "strong backing and support" for OAS efforts to ensure free and fair elections.

Mike Hammer, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said in Washington it was in U.S. interests "that whomever ultimately wins be seen as fully legitimate by the Peruvian people and the international community."

Will election be recognized?

A victory on Sunday would give Fujimori a third five-year term in power but some observers questioned if his victory would be internationally recognized.

"The victory would be viewed as illegitimate," said Arturo Porzecanski, chief economist for the Americas at the New York financial firm ING Barings.

"I think the U.S. government, European governments and many Latin American governments will distance themselves from Peru in various ways -- diplomatically, in trade, in financial support. I see isolation descending on Peru."

He said international sentiment is far different from 1992 when Fujimori suspended Congress and the Supreme Court, accusing them of obstructing his efforts to battle leftist Shining Path guerillas and make economic reforms. At the time, Porzecanski said, many governments were sympathetic.

Jose Miguel Vivanco, director of Washington-based Human Rights Watch, also warned that Fujimori would suffer serious consequences if he ignored calls for a postponement.

"If he carries out the election as the only candidate in conditions that have been widely questioned, I think from a political viewpoint, from a viewpoint of international relations, it would be suicide for Fujimori," said Vivanco, who is in Peru to observe the electoral process.

But independent sources in Lima also criticized Toledo's stance in boycotting the vote.

"He is an indecisive man, unscrupulous, not serious in his commitments and incapable of understanding the subtlety of political negotiations," a high-ranking election monitoring official told Reuters. "There is a great disappointment in diplomatic circles."

Correspondent Harris Whitbeck and Reuters contributed to this report.

OAS to monitor crucial test of electoral computers in Peru
May 24, 2000
Toledo quits Peru runoff; OAS says vote-counting system faulty
May 22, 2000
Peru's president refuses to delay runoff election
May 20, 2000
Opposition candidate drops out of Peru election, alleges irregularities
May 18, 2000
Police using tear gas break up opposition march after Peru election
April 10, 2000
In Peru, watchdog group warns of possible voter fraud
April 8, 2000
Candidates court the poor in run-up to Peruvian presidential election
April 7, 2000
Polls show race close as Peru's presidential election approaches
April 6, 2000

Bienvenidos al Ministerio de la Presidencia (Spanish)
Congreso de la Republica del Peru (Spanish/English)
Organization of American States
Peru Posible
CIA World Factbook: Peru

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