UN rights chief calls for “calm”, Peru still awaits voting results Election news

Pedro Castillo hoped to win the candidacy for the left-wing presidency, but official results have not yet been announced.

The head of human rights at the United Nations has asked Peruvians to “calm down” over the official results of a deeply polarized the presidential run-off has not yet been released, after more than a week of voting across the Andean nation.

Speaking on Monday, Michelle Bachelet said she was “concerned that what should be a celebration of democracy is becoming a source of division, which in turn is spreading the rupture of Peruvian society with the negative consequences of human rights.”

He has also expressed concern that election officials are being harassed.

“If the rules of democracy are not accepted before, during and after elections, social cohesion can be dangerously cracked,” Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.

Millions of Peruvians went interrogations on June 6th Pedro Castillo, the left-wing union’s union leader, and right-wing Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former imprisoned president Alberto Fujimori.

The elections came amid deep political divisions in Peru as it intensified COVID-19 infections and deaths, as well as the economic downturn associated with the pandemic.

Castillo is expected to be named the winner; counting all the votes, Fujimori had a support of 50.14 percent and a difference of less than 50,000 votes.

He has complained of fraud without providing any evidence to support his claims, and has sought to invalidate many votes.

International observers have said the election was held without serious irregularities.

It is not yet clear when the country’s electoral body will announce the winner, although Castillo has called for a quick counting to end the uncertainty.

But the Peruvian National Election Jury (JNE), which resolves disputes and claims the winner, is examining the challenges of eleven thousand votes cast in 165 polling stations across the country – 151 of which were debated by Fujimori, and 14 by Castillo. This process can take several days.

Meanwhile, Peruvians are worried about waiting to see who will be the next president of the country. deep political divisions and a coronavirus crisis.

Magaly Roca, who was listening to a radio show counting the votes in a corner store in Lima (the capital), said she voted for Castillo in the second round, even though she was not initially her preferred candidate.

“It’s putting too many obstacles,” Roca told Reuters, referring to Fujimo. “He was blocked the entire time he had a majority in Congress. It’s the same reason we didn’t move forward. I don’t think I can promise. ‘

Carlos Gurmendi, who works as a doorman in a residential neighborhood, said he reluctantly voted for Fujimo. “I voted for the two least ills,” the 66-year-old said.

Marches in favor of the two candidates began in Lima last week, with some voters flocking to the capital Castillo to protest from rural areas and supporters of Fujimori appearing in favor of allegations of fraud.