Peru: JNE Concludes Review of All of Keiko's Vote Contestations

The spokesperson of the National Jury of Elections (JNE) of Peru, Luis Alberto Sanchez, announced that this authority resolved this Monday the appeals of nullity and complaints of law presented by the neoliberal candidate Keiko Fujimori (Fuerza Popular) after the second round of the presidential elections, in which she faced the progressive candidate Pedro Castillo (Peru Libre).

In declarations to local media, Sánchez informed that the JNE notified the corresponding Special Electoral Juries (JEE) of this step. Based on this, the spokesman estimated that the winner of the elections could be proclaimed next week.

RELATED:

Peru: Electoral Jury Will Continue Resolving Ballot Appeals

He informed that the results of 42 challenges were already proclaimed in a public hearing, and another 15 will be announced this Tuesday. He explained that three days must pass for the results to be approved once these data are published. During this period, appeals can be made due to "numerical issues," he said.

He explained that, after 72 hours, the results reports "are submitted to the plenary of the JNE so that they can issue the general report of results proclamation." He added that the deadline for the general proclamation of results might be shortened if there are no appeals.

Meanwhile, the legal advisor of Peru Libre, Ronald Gamarra, said this Tuesday that "there is no way to stretch the proclamation of results of the second round any longer."

"Víctor Ródriguez Monteza has already finished signing all the last resolutions of Fujimori's appeals. Everything is already signed. The countdown for the proclamation of Pedro Castillo as the winner of the presidential elections."

He pointed out that the legal representatives of Fuerza Popular have the right to file appeals, but none of them can prevent the proclamation of the winner.

He estimated that Castillo could be proclaimed winner by next Sunday or Monday, although this could take three or four more days if Fuerza Popular appeals decisions of the JEE, because then those appeals will have to go to the JNE, he added.

Gamarra emphasized that there has been nothing irregular in the rejection of the 1,088 challenges by the JEEs and of the more than 300 that reached the JNE, nor was evidence or indications of fraud revealed.

On the other hand, one of the lawyers representing Fuerza Popular, Julio César Castiglioni, informed that they will question "all the files that have been resolved without an oral report" and will appeal the resolutions of the 28 JEE challenges that have yet to proclaim the winner of the elections. In his opinion, in these two situations, the Organic Law of Elections is not being duly complied with.