LIMA (AFP) -
Half
of the candidates in Peru's presidential election have abandoned or
been banned from next week's polls and one of the leading contenders may
follow, plunging the South American country into political uncertainty.
An
electoral law in force since January has ruled several candidates out
of the running in the April 10 contest. One is even running his campaign
from a jail cell.
And further disruption could come if
accusations of vote-buying lead to the elimination of banker and
economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who is running second in the polls to
the conservative Keiko Fujimori, daughter of Peru's jailed ex-leader
Alberto Fujimori.
Their faces are already printed on 20,000 ballot
papers, but they have each been accused of handing out money or gifts
to voters during their campaigns.
The new law passed in January cracks down on such activities.
The 40-year-old Fujimori was spared Friday when the National Electoral Board ruled her candidacy could move forward.
A local electoral court is hearing charges against 77-year-old Kuczynski. A ruling is due soon.
Critics complain the new rule is being applied arbitrarily.
"We
are the only country in the region with a law that allows for
candidates to be banned from an election," said electoral expert
Fernando Tuesta.
He said that had not happened since 1950 when the country was under a military dictatorship.
The president of the electoral board, Francisco Tavara, insisted its judges were impartial.
- Banned from the race -
The law originally aimed to strengthen the multi-party system by eliminating vote-buying, said Tuesta.
But lawmakers toughened it so that now a candidate can be excluded even at the last minute before voting starts.
"It has brought us to a dead end," Tuesta told AFP.
Electoral observers say the law sows uncertainty among voters.
"It
allows for candidates to be excluded at a very late stage in the
electoral process. That is a problem -- it affects candidates and
citizens," said Renate Weber, head of the European Union's observation
mission.
The election race started with 19 candidates. Five were
banned or dropped out before ballot cards were printed, and four more
have given up since.
Centrist economist Julio Guzman was barred for irregularities in party primaries.
Another previous favorite, millionaire former governor Cesar Acuna, was banned for giving out money at a rally.
Of
the remaining 10 contenders, leftist former governor Gregorio Santos is
campaigning from jail where he is being held over corruption charges.
And an investigation was launched Friday into former president Alan Garcia, who is running fifth in the polls.
Organization
of American States head Luis Almagro wrote on Twitter Friday - after
meeting with Guzman - that election officials should let the candidates
kicked off the ballot run to avoid a "semi-democratic" election.
- 'Tension and mistrust' -
The
elections are a decisive moment for Peru, one of the fastest-growing
economies in Latin America. While several of its major neighbors have
slowed down, its economy grew by more than three percent last year.
President
Ollanta Humala, who took office in 2011 and has seen his popularity
plummet, is barred from standing for re-election, while his Nationalist
Party has pulled its presidential and congressional candidates because
of little support.
By law, if a group does not receive at least
five percent of the vote they will no longer be formally recognized as a
political party.
The state ombudsman warned of "tension and
mistrust with regard to the current electoral process," blaming
"last-minute" amendments to the electoral law.
Analysts say it is
the most turbulent election since 2000, when Alberto Fujimori was
accused of cheating in his failed bid to win a third term.
Alberto
Fujimori, 78, who also holds Japanese citizenship, is in jail for human
rights crimes. He was convicted in 2009 for several crimes including
his role in the killings of supposed guerrillas by a death squad in the
1990s, and is serving a 25 year sentence.
Despite that history, his daughter is polling as favorite to become Peru's next president.
A
survey by pollster Datum published Friday showed that Fujimori had 36
percent support in a first-round vote, and would then win a run-off, set
for June 5.
by Moises Avila, Luis Jaime Cisneros
© 2016 AFP
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