Alejandro Toledo finished first in Peru's presidential election, but the US-trained economist with native Indian roots failed to gain a majority needed to avoid a runoff, according to preliminary results. He is likely to face former president Alan Garcia, a left-leaning populist, in a second round in late May or early June.
Early official returns representing 20 per cent of all districts gave Toledo 36.44 per cent on Monday, compared to 25.88 per cent for Garcia and 23.65 per cent for veteran politician Lourdes Flores, election officials said. Toledo, 55, who boycotted last year's fraudulent contest against disgraced former president Alberto Fujimori, is still a favourite to win in a runoff vote.
Nearly 15 million Peruvians were registered to vote for president as well as a new 120-member Congress. Bureau Report