Ex-president Garcia apparent winner in Peruvian runoff

Jun 5, 2006, 3:16 GMT

Lima - Official election results gave Social Democrat Alan Garcia a clear majority over leftwing nationalist Ollanta Humala with most of the vote counted in Sunday's presidential runoff in Peru.

Garcia, a former president whose term in office from 1985-90 was widely considered disastrous, had more than 55 per cent of the vote with more than 77 per cent of ballots counted.

Humala, a former member of the military with authoritarian leanings, had nearly 44.5 per cent of the vote.

The actual results closely followed exit polls released after the close of voting stations.

The winner will get a five-year term to succeed wildly unpopular President Alejandro Toledo.

Garcia declared victory in Lima at a rally of tens of thousands of supporters and promised an 'austere and thrifty' administration.

Humala accused Garcia of 'arrogance' for declaring victory and called on his own supporters to await final vote totals.

Polls before the election had suggested that the race was 57-year- old Garcia's to lose, though Humala, 43, was the top vote-getter in the first round of elections in April.

While Humala has support among the lower class, his campaign is eyed with suspicion among the upper and middle classes.

Humala, who has never held elected office, sought to stir up poor Peruvians against the wealthier classes. Observers said that Humala was hurt by an endorsement from Venezuela's leftwing nationalist President Hugo Chavez.

More than half of Peru's 27 million people live in poverty.

Garcia, who presided over a shrinking economy and runaway inflation during his own administration, appeared to have received a second chance. As expected, the Social Democratic candidate has likely received a majority of second-round votes from supporters of conservative candidate Lourdes Flores, who was edged out for second place by Garcia in April's first-round vote.

Humala, who has been accused of severe human-rights violations as a member of Peru's military during the civil war against the maoist Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) rebels, campaigned on aggressive nationalism including a more centralized economy, while steering a more rightwing path on domestic security.