A review of Peru’s vote will be revived as a country of protests in the new elections

Supporters of supposedly elected president Pedro Castillo and right-wing Keiko Fujimori are taking to the streets of Lima.

Challenges for Peru’s fierce presidential election are set to resume again on Saturday after a new judge swore in a jury to oversee the conflict, in favor of opposition candidates. Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori took to the streets of Lima in protest.

Castillo, a left-wing teacher and union leader, claimed victory after gaining 50.12 percent support in the second round on June 6 – about 44,000 more votes than right-wing Fujimori – according to the total number of votes.

But if it has the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori alleged voter fraud – despite the fact that international observers say the election took place without serious irregularities – and his camp has asked the National Electoral Tribunal (JNE) to select thousands of votes.

The country’s election process has plunged into more uncertainty this week after one of four magistrates on the jury examining the contested vote clashed with other officials over requests to cancel the vote.

On Saturday, the jury swore in a replacement to restart the process. “Electoral justice cannot be paralyzed or blocked, even less so at this stage of the process,” said JNE President Jorge Salas.

The polarized presidential election came amid deep political divisions in Peru, as COVID-19 is struggling to fight infections and rapid deaths, and to deal with the economic downturn associated with the pandemic.

Al Jazeera’s Mariana Sanchez Lima reported that supporters of Keiko Fujimori and Pedro Castillo are protesting in the capital on Saturday afternoon.

“The situation is very tense … 20 days have passed [since the election] and there are no official results yet, “he said, adding that police are trying to separate the rival group.

Castillo’s supporters have called on the election authorities to ensure results, while Fujimori’s supporters have joined the claims of the right-wing candidate that the vote was rigged by fraud and that they want to conduct an in-depth investigation, Sanchez said.

But Fujimori said the camp has offered no evidence to support allegations of fraud.

“All the international observers who have been here – from the Organization of American States, Transparency International, the European Union, the US State Department, Canada – have said that the elections have been free and fair,” Sanchez said.

As the tension continues to rise, A former jailed intelligence adviser who was a close collaborator of former President Alberto Fujimori leaked an audio recording in an attempt to influence Keiko Fujimori’s vote. The Navy has said it will investigate phone calls from its prison at the naval base.

“We are outraged that a prisoner has appeared on stage at this critical moment in our democratic life,” Prime Minister Violeta Bermudez told reporters on Saturday.

The new president of Peru will be sworn in on July 28, the country’s independence day.