Calls for ONPE chief Piero Corvetto to resign have grown after ballot distribution failures and a slow count clouded Peru’s presidential vote. With 93.3% tallied, Keiko Fujimori leads on 17% while Roberto Sánchez (12.0%) and Rafael López Aliaga (11.9%) remain separated by about 13,000 votes. About 5% of ballots are under review by a special electoral jury, and Peru’s National Jury of Elections has filed a criminal complaint against Corvetto; EU observers reported no evidence of fraud.
Pressure Builds on Peru’s Election Chief as Vote Count Delays Leave Run-Off Unclear
Supporters of presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez demonstrate outside the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) on April 16 [Martin Mejia/AP Photo]
Calls for the resignation of Piero Corvetto, head of Peru’s National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), intensified after ballot distribution problems and a slow, error-prone tabulation unsettled investors and added uncertainty to the presidential race.
With 93.3% of ballots counted, conservative front-runner Keiko Fujimori holds 17% of the vote, while leftist Roberto Sánchez (12.0%) and ultraconservative former Lima mayor Rafael López Aliaga (11.9%) are locked in a tight battle for second place, separated by roughly 13,000 votes. The top two will advance to a run-off currently set for June 7, though final results could take up to two weeks, election monitor Transparencia warned.
ONPE said voting had to be extended in some areas — principally in Lima — because of logistical problems distributing ballots. About 5% of ballots were flagged for review due to missing information or inconsistencies in polling-station records; those ballots will be examined by a special electoral jury before being added to the official totals.
Accusations, Investigations and Official Responses
Business leaders and lawmakers from across the political spectrum urged Corvetto to step down and suggested a different official should manage the second round. "Errors this serious have consequences," Jorge Zapata, head of business chamber CONFIEP, told RPP radio.
Corvetto acknowledged logistical delays and said officials extended voting where necessary, but he denied that irregularities had affected the vote. Nonetheless, Peru’s top electoral court, the National Jury of Elections, filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors alleging offenses that include violations of voting rights. Corvetto’s representatives did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Separately, police opened an investigation after materials from four polling stations were found on a public road in Lima; ONPE said those votes had already been recorded for the count. European Union election observers said they found no evidence of fraud.
What’s next: ONPE and electoral authorities will complete the review of flagged ballots and resolve pending challenges. Transparency groups say a final official tally could still take up to two weeks, keeping the run-off field uncertain until then.
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