Peru appears to be on the verge of electing a new president, but the race remains surrounded by controversy as legal challenges and allegations of irregularities continue to unfold.

With more than 99% of votes counted, conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori has opened a narrow lead over left-wing rival Roberto Sanchez in one of the closest elections in the country’s recent history.

According to Peru’s electoral authorities, Fujimori holds 50.11% of valid votes compared to 49.89% for Sanchez, a difference of just over 39,000 votes.

If the result stands, Fujimori would become the first woman directly elected president of Peru. The daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori has previously lost three presidential runoff elections, including a razor-thin defeat in 2021.

Despite the growing lead, Sanchez has refused to concede. His political movement has filed legal challenges seeking to invalidate votes and has called for demonstrations in Lima, arguing that irregularities occurred during the electoral process.

Election observers from both the Organization of American States and the European Union have stated that the election was conducted normally and have urged all parties to respect the official process while outstanding ballots and appeals are reviewed.

The remaining votes under review are concentrated primarily in Lima and among Peruvians living abroad, areas where Fujimori has generally performed well.

As Peru awaits final certification of the results, the country finds itself once again deeply divided politically. The outcome will determine whether Peru continues down a more conservative path focused on economic stability and security or embraces the left-wing reforms proposed by Sanchez.

For now, all eyes remain on Peru’s electoral authorities as they work through the final challenges in what has become another dramatic chapter in the country’s political history.