Ninth Election In 10 Years: Peru Votes For New President

<p><em>Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko</em></p> <p>On Sunday, Peru is holding its ninth presidential election in 10 years.</p> <p>Democratic socialist candidate Roberto Sanchez is facing the neoliberal Keiko Fujimori in a tightly contested runoff election centered on political instability and rising crime.</p> <p>About 27 million voters are eligible to cast ballots for the five-year presidential term.</p> <h2>Who Are The Candidates?</h2> <p>In the first round of the election featuring 35 presidential candidates, Fujimori advanced to the runoff with just 17% of the vote, while Sanchez secured around 12%.</p> <p>Fujimori is the daughter of former autocratic President Alberto Fujimori. In her fourth presidency bid, she is promising a hardline security stance that includes tougher prisons and military deployments.</p> <p>Sanchez, a congressman and former minister backed by former President Pedro Castillo, has pledged to maintain economic stability while tackling corruption.</p> <p>On Friday, a judge ruled that Sanchez could stand trial over alleged campaign finance violations. Prosecutors have indicted the politician, alleging inconsistencies in his party's financial reports.</p> <p>He has been accused of receiving tens of thousands of dollars in unreported contributions. Sanchez denies the accusations.</p> <h2>Who Were Peruvian Presidents In Past Decade?</h2> <p>The vote comes after years of political turmoil in Peru, which has seen eight presidents since 2016.</p> <ul> <li>Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (July 2016 &mdash; March 2018)</li> <li>Martin Vizcarra (March 2018 &mdash; November 2020)</li> <li>Manuel Merino (November 10, 2020 &mdash; November 15, 2020)</li> <li>Francisco Sagasti (November 2020 &mdash; July 2021)</li> <li>Pedro Castillo (July 2021 &mdash; Dec 2022)</li> <li>Dina Boluarte (December 2022 &mdash; October 2025)</li> <li>Jose Jeri (Oct 2025 &mdash; February 2026)</li> <li>Jose Maria Balcazar (February 2026 &mdash; incumbent)</li> </ul> <p>Neither candidate in this Sunday election has a legislative majority, which raises the prospect of continued instability.</p> <p>The winner will replace interim president Balcazar on July 28.</p> <p><em>Disclaimer: This report first appeared on <strong>Deutsche Welle</strong>, and has been republished on <strong>ABP Live</strong> as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by <strong>ABP Live</strong>.</em></p>

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