Peru’s Elections Chief Resigns as Disputed Vote Count Drags

Overview

• Piero Corvetto, who led Peru’s vote agency, resigned Tuesday hours before a scheduled questioning by prosecutors, saying the step was needed to restore trust before the June 7 runoff.
• Election officials are reviewing more than 15,000 contested ballots, about 30% tied to the presidential race, and the National Jury of Elections (JNE) expects final results around mid-May.
• With roughly 94% counted, Keiko Fujimori leads with about 18% while Roberto Sánchez and Rafael López Aliaga are nearly tied around 12%, so her runoff opponent remains unsettled.
• European Union observers reported serious deficiencies in the process but said they found no objective evidence of fraud, countering claims by some candidates.
• Operational failures on April 12 in Lima delayed poll openings, kept more than 50,000 people from voting, and forced an unprecedented 24-hour extension, deepening doubts about the system.