Peru's surprise match: Garcia vs. Toledo

Former president returns to face Andean-descended front-runner in runoff

Peruvian presidential candidates Alejandro Toledo, right, and Alan Garcia during a meeting at Garcia's headquarters in Lima, Peru, early Monday

In this story: Vote was open and fair Toledo to seek Flores' support Garcia claims change from earlier days RELATED STORIES, SITES

LIMA, Peru (CNN) -- Unlike last year, Peruvian opposition leader Alejandro Toledo won't withdraw from next month's runoff election for the Andean nation's presidency.

With former President Alberto Fujimori in exile, Toledo took more than a third of the vote in Sunday's election, landing in a runoff with another ex-president, Alan Garcia.

But while Toledo's presence at the head of the ballot was no surprise -- he forced a runoff in last year's general election before he withdrew, charging that irregularities in the voting process would render the runoff unfair -- Garcia's showing was just short of stunning.

VIDEO Toledo and Garcia talk about the campaign Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Lucia Newman has more on the election being held in Peru Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     ELECTION WATCH Presidential election Legislative elections     RESOURCES Alberto Fujimori pictoral timeline: a decade in power     ALSO Peru's Garcia has Wall Street scampering for cover Key facts on Peru's election Garcia: Fiendish seducer or voters' hope Toledo: controversial 'cholo' with a cause

Most observers had expected Toledo's runoff opponent to be former Congresswoman Lourdes Flores, who had been running second in polls leading up to the vote.

But with more than 96 percent of the ballots counted, it was Garcia-- driven from office and into exile in 1985 amid rampant corruption, four-digit inflation and surging guerilla violence -- who dogged Toledo's footsteps toward the presidency.

Garcia, who returned to Peru in January -- after corruption charges against him expired -- took 26 percent of the vote to Toledo's 36.5 percent. Flores was third, with 24 percent, and five other candidates carried the rest of the ballots.

"Everyone was quite surprised," said Eduardo Stein, who headed a mission that monitored the election for the Organization of American States. "No one expected Garcia to have such a good performance."

Vote was open and fair

Stein gave the election a stamp of approval, however, praising the Peruvian electoral organizers for their "openness and fairness."

"There is a fundamental difference (between this year's election and last year's)," Stein said. "Last year there was formidable political control machinery that (former spy chief Vladimiro) Montesinos and Fujimori wielded to control ... the electoral process."

A scandal involving Montesinos -- the former head of Peru's National Intelligence Service was videotaped, apparently attempting to bribe a lawmaker -- eventually drove Fujimori from office. Both Montesinos and Fujimori fled Peru, setting the stage for Sunday's vote.

"Nobody suspected that 12 months before ... that we could bring down dictatorship and have new elections," Toledo said, adding that while he had expected to win by a larger margin, he still "respected the results."

Toledo said he was surprised by Garcia's comeback from being a "political cadaver" a decade ago to "persuade close to 24 percent of the electoral population."

"We will see what happens," said Toledo, a one-time shoe-shine boy and now a U.S.-trained economist.

Toledo to seek Flores' support

The runoff election -- which will be held within 30 days of the day Sunday's results are final --- will pit Toledo, a Peruvian of Andean descent with strong populist support, against Garcia, a silver-tongued orator once dubbed the John F. Kennedy of Latin America.

"His oratorical skills make him irresistible to many people," psychologist Jorge Bruce told The Associated Press. "When I see him on television, I change channels because if I didn't, I would end up voting for him. He has a great capacity for seduction."

Toledo acknowledged Garcia's gifts and said he would "try to persuade him not to participate in the second round" of voting.

But Toledo will more likely try to gain the support of Flores, despite an 11th-hour row with her that likely cost both of them support in favor of Garcia, who stayed out of the fray.

Toledo blamed Flores' campaign for news reports linking him with cocaine use and an out-of-wedlock child, allegations he denied. Flores' denied Toledo's accusations, but the dispute may have soured some voters.

Still, Toledo said he believed he had "a close linkage with her."

"Hopefully we will identify common points and she will support us," he said.

Garcia claims change from earlier days

Garcia, meanwhile, revamped his once center-left image in more moderate tones, and appeared to benefit from it. Toledo, he said, was running a "dirty and dumb" campaign by trying to blame a decline in stock value on him.

"There is always a detention of stocks before every election and for that reason the value decreases," he said. "My opponents are opportunists. This argument is not valid because the electors will by no means buy it."

As for Flores, Garcia said he had only to "convince (her) party that I believe in free market."

Part of Garcia's downfall came in 1987, when he tried to nationalize Peru's banks, sparking a recession. But Garcia said he has learned his lessons.

His failure, he has said, was to have tried to "do too many things."

"All this should have been done with a bit more prudence," he said. "I know that now."

CNN's Lucia Newman contributed to this report.

Toledo likely to face runoff in Peru election
April 8, 2001
Carter predicts fair presidential election in Peru
April 7, 2001
Former Peru military chief arrested for taking drug payoffs
April 6, 2001
Peru congresswoman seeks death-squad probe of Fujimori
April 3, 2001
Candidates jockey for position in Peru's presidential election
April 1, 2001
Mudslinging helps Garcia gains ground in Peru
March 29, 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)

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.