Page 11 - ATD12March2016
P. 11
WORLD NEWS A11
Saturday 12 March 2016
Elimination of Peru presidential candidate sows confusion
Presidential candidate Julio Guzman smiles next to supporters during a press conference in Lima, lodged by politicians, a acy of her father’s time in
Peru. All bets are off in Peru’s presidential race after the disqualification of the moderate econo- office.
mist Julio Guzman who was the chief challenger to front-runner Keiko Fujimori. drought of proposals, in- Guzman, a technocrat
(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) undations of economic re- with a doctorate in public
sources, and heat waves policy from the University of
in the exchanges among Maryland, formerly worked
candidates,” he said. as a deputy minister in
Guzman had surged in Humala’s administration.
opinion polls, with recent It’s unclear whether moder-
surveys saying he had the ate and leftist voters will be
backing of about 17 per- able to coalesce around a
cent of voters, while 35 per- single candidate to chal-
cent supported Keiko Fuji- lenge Fujimori in a runoff.
mori, who has maintained Polls show that half of the
a strong lead throughout country’s voters are still un-
the race. No other candi- decided or open to chang-
date polled above 10 per- ing their preferences.
cent. “Back in December and
Officials also disqualified January we were talk-
candidate Cesar Acuna ing about it being unclear
on Wednesday. He had who would take second
been running a distant place. Now we’re right
fourth in polls. back there,” Urpi Torrado,
Keiko Fujimori narrowly lost director of the polling firm
a 2011 presidential runoff Datum, told local media
to current President Ollanta outlet Peru21.
Humala. She struggled in
that election with the leg-
FRANKLIN BRICENO the country’s democratic
Associated Press process.
LIMA, Peru (AP) — All bets The Organization of Ameri-
are off in Peru’s presidential can States, which is send-
race after the disqualifica- ing an observer mission for
tion of the moderate econ- the election, expressed
omist who was the chief concern over Guzman’s
challenger to front-runner last-minute elimination.
Keiko Fujimori. The center-right politician
Analysts say the decision Fujimori is the daughter of
throws the April 10 con- former President Alberto
test into confusion. It will Fujimori, who is imprisoned
not necessarily give Fuji- for corruption and autho-
mori the strength to win the rizing death squads. The
simple majority needed to country’s institutions have
avoid a second round of struggled to reclaim le-
voting, but does make it gitimacy since the strong-
likely she will face a weaker man’s time in office.
challenger in an eventual Guzman has vowed to fight
runoff. his disqualification and
Peru’s electoral council on continue to campaign, but
Wednesday blocked the his chances of reversal are
candidacy of Julio Guz- slim.
man, saying the technical The country is in for politi-
mechanism by which his cal drama on par with the
party chose him violated El Nino weather phenome-
the party’s own internal non, political analyst Jorge
rules. Saldana Ramirez said.
Critics of the ruling de- “In these remaining four
scribed it as petty, and weeks, we’re going to
warned the disqualification see a political El Nino,
undermines confidence in with floods of complaints
