Peru This Monday started another week of uncertainty and stress for National Election Arbitration Committee (JNE), which must Solve voting challenges and announce the winner of the June 6 poll between the right Keiko Fujimori and left Pedro Castillo.

Eight days after the election, JNE is being criticized by Fujimoriwhile its head, Jorge Luis Salas, Warns that solving challenges for full polling stations requires “some less time”, without giving a date for sentencing.

Fujimori, who should be tried for money laundering if he does not win the presidency, He denounced the “fraud” and was able to ask the JNE within the statutory period to nullify the votes of 151 polling stations out of the 802 he intended., Even if For OAS observers, the vote was clean and “without serious irregularities”.

In addition to Fujimori’s Fuerza Popular Party lawyer, Takayama Miracles, asked on Monday to do aTo “audit” the process of digitizing the voting tables, In a new questioning of the Electoral College (ONPE), while Castillo, who only disputed 14 tables before JNE, Ask about “Serenity” For his supporters, a sense of victory.

The ONPE office organizes the elections and counts the votes, While JNE solves challenges and announces the winner.

Bachelet’s Fears of “Social Divide”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, express him Worry This Monday because of the tension in Peru after the elections.

“I’m concerned to see how it turns out what should be the celebration of democracy cleavage focus, “This is leading to a growing division in Peruvian society,” Bachelet said in a statement.

The Chilean also argued that “electoral institutions and the decisions they make must be respected and made. If the rules of democracy are not accepted before, during and after elections, social cohesion can be seriously broken.

“I call for reflection, calm, respect for democratic values ​​and non-discrimination, as well as the defense of human rights, all of which are necessary for coexistence in a society as rich and plural as Peru,” he concluded.

ONPE’s latest count gives Castillo an advantage of 48,000 votes (50.13% vs. 49.86% Fujimori) with 99.94% of polls screened, So the whole process now depends on what JNE decides to announce the winner.

JNE, which has been reviewing the challenges since Thursday, He has no definite deadline to speakBut analysts believe that the uncertainty that is fueling tension in the country must be urgently ended.

At a public hearing, JNE reviewed 10 minutes of disputed tables on Monday, but it is not known how many of the 165 total remain to be resolved.

The uncertainty is that if the process continues until July 28, When the term of interim President Francisco Sagaste expires, The next congressional president can take over the presidency and call new electionsFormer lawmaker Victor Andres Garcia Belaunde told a local channel on Sunday.

“dangerous word”

Peruvian Nobel Prize Mario Vargas Llosa, who supports Fujimori of Spain, said on Sunday that JNE shall assess the challenges presented by the candidateAnd the But he was cautious about allegations of “fraud”.

“Fraud is a very dangerous word […]It would be wise, while JNE does not pronounce itself, not to use the word fraud, he said in an interview with n . channel. ‘Failure’ […]Whatever the case, it will be severely criticized.” The writer reiterated that, in his opinion, A Castillo victory would be a “disaster” for Peru.

The largest seats in the new Congress will be free peruCastillo Party (37 seats) and popular powerFrom Fujimori (24) out of a total of 130.

This means that The new president must seek alliances to pass laws (66 votes) or to save themselves from want, A very fast action in Peru requires 87 votes.

Fujimori and his legal case

Anti-Corruption Prosecutor On Thursday, I asked for Fujimori’s remand, alleging a violation of the rules of his conditional release in the case of illegal contributions from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

tax request, Which will be decided by the court on June 21, added fuel to the fire amid slow scrutiny, in a country mired in political turmoil that had three presidents in five days in November 2020.

(With information from AFP)

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