LIMA, June 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Image taken on June 5, 2016 shows the presidential candidate of the party Peruvians for Change (PPK), Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (C), reacting during a breakfast with neighbors of the La Victoria district before casting his vote in the second round of the presidential elections, in Lima, Peru. Peruvian economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will be the next president of Peru, the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) confirmed at 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon. (Xinhua/Str)
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 4 p.m. 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."
In a speech in Lima immediately after the outcome was announced, 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."
However, Fujimori's camp was quick to say that she would not officially recognize the result until a verdict by Peru's National Electoral Tribunal (JNE).
Her supporter, congressman Pedro Spadaro, told the press after the result was announced that "the JNE will have the final word on the entire electoral process. We will wait patiently...for the Tribunal to give its verdict."
"If the results do not change...we will recognize them," he added.
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Kuczynski to call for national unity govt in Peru if victory is confirmed
LIMA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Peru's Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will install a government of national unity in order to bring parties together, should his victory in Sunday's presidential elections be confirmed, said Martin Vizcarra, the vice presidential candidate from Kuczynski's Alliance for Change (PPK) party, on Monday.
According to Peru's electoral authority, with 92.6 percent of the votes counted, Kuczynski had a very slim lead, maintaining 50.32 percent of votes over Keiko Fujimori's 49.68 percent.Full Story
