Keiko Fujimori Wins Peruvian Presidential Election with Narrow Margin

The Peruvian election commission announced on Monday that the right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori has won the presidential race. Earlier, the country's electoral authority finished tallying 100% of the votes, 22 days after the June 7 election. The final results show conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori with a lead of 50.135%, or 9,223,396 votes, over leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez's 49.865%, or 9,173,755 votes. The runoff between Fujimori and Sanchez was one of the closest elections in Latin America in decades. Crime and political instability have dominated the race to elect Peru's ninth leader in ten years. Fujimori family returns to power It was also Fujimori's fourth bid for the job. Her victory means the return of her family name to power after more than two decades since her father, former President Alberto Fujimori, was ousted. He led Peru through the turbulent 1990s, crushing the Maoist Shining Path rebels and taming hyperinflation. However, Alberto Fujimori was later disgraced, exiled, and jailed for corruption and crimes against humanity. On July 28, Keiko Fujimori will replace interim President Jose Maria Balcazar for a five-year term. Earlier, Sanchez said that he would not recognize a Fujimori-led government, citing a "serious violation of the electoral process." Edited by: Wesley Dockery