Election in Peru

Looks like Peru will have a presidential run-off, a result that won’t surprise anyone. Results at this point are the following:

Ollanta Humala: 29-30%
Alan Garcia: 26%
Lourdes Flores: 25%
There are 17 other candidates behind that

Originally, a run-off would take place in May, but apparently it may not happen until June. The campaign until then will be intense, especially if it is Humala-Flores, who stand so starkly apart. The fact that Garcia, a widely disliked ex-president (perhaps not unlike Goni in Bolivia) did so well appears to be related to the fact that he successfully painted himself as a centrist.

This Herald article--like so many others--also has the requisite “wave of leftists” remark. On this issue, check out Boz’s questioning whether Pat Buchanan would be called a leftist in Peru.