The presidential candidate of the party Peruvians for Change (PPK), Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2nd R), reacts while offering a statement after the report of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE, for its acronym in Spanish) on the results of the second round of the presidential election, in Lima, Peru, on June 9, 2016. (Xinhua/Vidal Tarqui/ANDINA)
LIMA, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will be the next president of Peru, the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) confirmed at 4pm Thursday afternoon.
After a long four-day count, Kuczynski, from the Peruvians for Change (PPK), edged out his rival Keiko Fujimori, from Popular Force, with a wafer-thin margin, winning by 50.117 percent to 49.883 percent. The difference in the total votes was of 41,438 with 8,580,474 votes for Kuczynski and 8,539,036 for Fujimori.
Kuczynski took to Twitter to thank his supporters, saying "Thank you, Peru! It is time to work together for the future of our country."
The head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE, for its acronym in Spanish), Mariano Cucho (R), takes part in a press conference on the results of the second round of the presidential election, in Lima, Peru, on June 9, 2016. (Xinhua/Eddy Ramos/ANDINA)
In a speech in Lima immediately after the decision was announced, a jubilant Kuczynski said he would be "seeking to work with all Peruvians. There are many of us who feel the train has passed them by but we want them all to board the train."
Kuczynski will take over as president on July 28 from President Ollanta Humala for a mandate lasting until 2021.
He pledged that he would work so that "by 2021, Peru will be a renewed country."
