Peru's election chief resigns amid vote counting delays

Lima. Vote counting continues following the recently concluded general election in Peru. The head of the electoral body has resigned from his post following widespread dissatisfaction with the vote counting process.

On Tuesday, Piero Corvetto announced his departure from the position of head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) via social media. 

In a letter addressed to the National Justice Board (JNJ), he claimed that there were no irregularities, contrary to allegations made by some politicians. However, he clarified that he decided to step down to restore public trust, especially ahead of the potential second round of the presidential election scheduled for June 7.

The first round of voting on April 12 was affected by management issues. Voting hours had to be extended in areas including the capital, Lima. While election observers acknowledged weaknesses in the process, they stated there is no concrete evidence of fraud. The final results are expected to be released by May 15, with the top two candidates advancing to the second round.

So far, right-wing leader Keiko Fujimori is in the lead with approximately 17 percent of the vote, and her chances of reaching the runoff appear strong. However, it remains unclear who her opponent will be.

A tight race is observed between leftist lawmaker Roberto Sanchez and former right-wing mayor of Lima, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who have received approximately 12 percent and 11.9 percent of the vote, respectively. 

Concerns have been raised that the disorganized voting in the first round could further increase dissatisfaction with the country's political system. Previous surveys indicated that approximately 68 percent of Peruvian citizens had little or no trust in the electoral body.