Toledo likely to face runoff in Peru election

In this story: Garcia makes a comeback 'Today is a day of celebration' RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Lucia Newman
CNN Correspondent

LIMA, Peru (CNN) -- Polls closed Sunday evening in Peru's presidential election with economist Alejandro Toledo enjoying a comfortable lead but likely to face a runoff.

The first official results released late Sunday night showed Toledo ahead of two other competitors, receiving 36.38 percent of the vote.

Toledo faced his strongest challenge from Alan Garcia, a discredited ex-president returned from exile, and Lourdes Flores, a conservative former congresswoman.

VIDEO CNN's Lucia Newman has more on the election being held in Peru Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     RESOURCES Major candidates in Peru's presidential election     ELECTION WATCH Presidential election Legislative elections     RESOURCES Alberto Fujimori pictoral timeline: a decade in power

The first official results, which were 11.73 percent of the total vote, gave Garcia 25.7 percent and Flores 24.01 percent.

Garcia makes a comeback

While Toledo had been expected to lead his two main rivals, Garcia surprised critics by becoming the leading challenger for a runoff.

Garcia, 51, ended his administration a decade ago in disgrace and went into self-imposed exile, leaving Peru with more than 7,500 percent annual inflation. He has enjoyed a surge in popularity since his return from Colombia earlier this year.

Garcia's comeback displaced Flores, a 41-year-old member of Lima's white elite with a reputation for honesty. She had been in second place in opinion polls going into Sunday's election.

"After this terrible corruption and crisis that we have lived, I do think that giving the power to a woman might be part of the change, and of the hope, that people might put in it," Flores told CNN before the vote.

A runoff round will be held within 30 days after election returns are final.

A large voter turnout had been expected, since voting in Peru is mandatory and those who don't vote are fined.

'Today is a day of celebration'

Toledo, 55, a Peruvian of Andean Indian descent who went from being a shoeshine boy to U.S.-educated economist, has been the favorite among the country's poor, mestizo Indian population.

Indians make up 45 percent of Peru's 26 million inhabitants and 37 percent are of mixed Indian and white blood. No Indian or mestizo has been freely elected president in Peru's history, although several have come to power through military coups.

"Today marks the final stage of a long struggle, a costly one, to recuperate our democracy," Toledo said Sunday morning. "Today is a day of celebration for Peru."

Last April, Toledo finished second in the election that ultimately brought Alberto Fujimori a disputed third five-year term. Fujimori cruised to victory after Toledo withdrew his candidacy in protest over election irregularities.

Fujimori fled to Japan in November and later resigned in the wake of a corruption scandal involving his former spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos. Fujimori now lives in self-imposed exile in Japan, his ancestral homeland.

Valentin Paniagua was sworn in as president later that month and is expected to serve until July 28, when the newly elected president will take office.

Sunday's election was Peru's first since the ouster of Fujimori.

The elections were observed by a 35-member delegation from the Carter Center and the National Democratic Institute. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter told CNN Saturday from Lima he was confident the elections would go off without a hitch.

That was in stark contrast to the election last year, when Carter and other international observers refused to monitor the run-off.

Carter and his team of observers were stationed at polling sites in nine of Peru's 25 electoral districts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Carter predicts fair presidential election in Peru
April 7, 2001
Peru PM outlines plans to end corruption, catch Montesinos
December 11, 2000

The Carter Center
The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
Bienvenidos al Ministerio de la Presidencia (Spanish)
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores del Peru (Spanish/English)
Congreso de la Republica del Peru (Spanish/English)

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