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Toledo Secures Victory in Peruvian Elections
Official results of the Peruvian elections indicated that Alejandro Toledo, a World Bank economist, has defeated former president Alan Garcia and won Sunday's presidential runoff.
With 73.69 percent of ballots counted, Toledo, 55, has won 51. 83 percent of valid votes, excluding blank or spoiled papers, to 48.17 percent for former president Garcia, the National Electoral Process Office (ONPE) in Peru said.
Garcia, who was Peru's president from 1985 to 1990, acknowledged defeat while offering Toledo congratulations.
Toledo, presidential candidate of the Possible Party (PP), appeared to have won the race shown from the preliminary results of Sunday's elections by the time they closed.
Garcia is also head of the Aprista Peruvian Party (PAP).
Ballot centers closed at 4:00 p.m. (02000 GMT), without reports of incidents or major fraud denunciations.
Toledo supporters demonstrated with songs and slogans their happiness for the apparent victory.
Toledo thanked Peruvians for their support, yet he said he would wait for more official results.
"I salute the Peruvian people who have exercised their democratic right to decide their destiny, bringing to a close this way, a long fight to conquer democracy in Peru," he said.
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