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APRIL 9, 2001

History is repeating itself in Peru but perhaps in a good way, as preliminary results from Sunday's Presidential election show Alejandro Toledo headed for a run-off with challenger Alan Garcia.

Although he is in the lead, the Stanford-educated economist who billed himself as "The Rebel Indian" and the "Indian with a cause" has so far failed to gain a majority of the popular vote. Peru's Constitution calls for a run-off when no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote.

The nation was in a similar state one year ago when Toledo ran against incumbent Alberto Fujimori. However, that election was marred with controversy and allegations of fraud.

Toledo eventually pulled out of the rematch after he said the Fujimori administration failed to address problems with the electoral process. Fujimori has since left the country amid political scandal and is now in Japan, where his parents were born.

Hoping to avoid last year's mistakes, the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) instituted a number of changes to the voting system. International observers including former President Jimmy Carter say conditions have improved and were confident the election would be fair.

With 29 percent of districts counted, the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) is reporting Toledo with 36 percent of the vote and former President Garcia with 26 percent. Attorney and former Congresswoman Lourdes Flores, campaigning to be the nation's first female leader, has 24 percent of the vote.

Exit polls put Toledo's support somewhat higher at 40 percent. Garcia's numbers show about 26 percent.

The majority of Peru's population is of Indian descent, but the nation has never had an indigenous leader in modern times. Toledo has banked on his Indian roots throughout the election.

Interestingly enough, Toledo's wife Eliane Karp is a fluent speaker of Quechan, the Incan language. Karp was born in Belgium and is a naturalized American citizen. The two met while students at Stanford.

Peru's Constitution calls for a run-off within one month of the certification of final results.

Search for Photos:
Yahoo! News Photos on the Election

Relevant Links:
Election Report, The Carter Center - http://www.cartercenter.org/REPORTS/perustatement.html
Profile of Peru, CIA World Factbook - http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/pe.html
Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE), Only in Español - http://tic.onpe.gob.pe/index1.html
El Comercio - http://www.elcomercioperu.com/Noticias/html/primerindex.html

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