General elections were held in Peru on 10 April 2011 to elect the president, the vice presidents, 130 members of Congress and five members of the Andean Parliament. As no presidential candidate received a majority in the first round, a second round was held on 5 June to determine the successor of outgoing president Alan García. Former army officer Ollanta Humala narrowly defeated Keiko Fujimori, daughter of imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori. Humala was sworn in as the 94th President of Peru on 28 July.

Background

After the third presidential term of Alberto Fujimori, new rules were established to curtail presidential authority. The outgoing president is now forbidden to run for reelection until five years have elapsed since the end of a presidential term.

Peruvian politics adhere to a multi-party system, in which no one political group has a majority in Congress. This has led recent administrations to form loose alliances while in office to govern effectively. Such multi-party system has been in place ever since the administration of President Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), following his 1992 dissolution of Congress.

The elections are organised by three groups. First of all the RENIEC (National Registry of Identification and Civil Status), they are in charge of maintaining the civil records. And by that they define who has to vote and who doesn't. In Peru, all citizens aged 18 to 70 are compelled to vote, elections being discretionary past the age of 70. The real organization of the elections and also of all other referendums is done by the ONPE (National Office of Electoral Processes). The last organisation is the JNE (National Jury of Elections), they are looking into the legality of the elections and the campaign plans.

Presidential candidates

Peru Wins Force 2011 Alliance for the Great Change Possible Peru Electoral Alliance National Solidarity Alliance Member of Congress(2006–2011) President of the Council of Ministers(2005–2006) President of Peru(2001-2006) Mayor of Lima(2003-2010)Running mates 1st: Marisol Espinoza2nd: Omar Chehade 1st: Rafael Rey2nd: Jaime Yoshiyama 1st: Máximo San Román2nd: Marisol Pérez Tello 1st: Carlos Bruce2nd: Javier Reátegui 1st: Augusto Ferrero Costa2nd: Carmen Rosa Núñez

The election campaigns started early in the summer of 2010. During most of 2010, polls were led by two right wing political parties: National Solidarity, led by former mayor of Lima Luis Castañeda Lossio and Force 2011, led by ex-president Alberto Fujimori's daughter, Keiko Fujimori. In November 2010, the Alliance for the Great Change launched the candidacy of the former prime minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. Claiming a more centrist stand are, the ruling party APRA and Possible Peru, the latter under the leadership of former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo.

The left-wing politician Ollanta Humala is supported by the Peruvian Nationalist Party.

The Fuerza Social and Cambio Radical do not have presidential candidates. The incumbent Alan García's American Popular Revolutionary Alliance is also not fielding a candidate in the election.

Political Party or GroupPresidential candidateCandidate for First Vice PresidentCandidate for Second Vice PresidentPeru Wins Alliance Peruvian Nationalist Party (Partido Nacionalista Peruano) Socialist Party (Partido Socialista) Peruvian Communist Party (Partido Comunista Peruano) Revolutionary Socialist Party (Partido Socialista Revolucionario) Political Movement Socialist Voice (Movimiento Político Voz Socialista)Force 2011 Alliance Force 2011 (Fuerza 2011) National Renewal (Renovación Nacional)Possible Peru Alliance Possible Peru (Perú Posible) We Are Peru (Somos Perú) Popular Action (Acción Popular)Alliance for the Great Change Alliance for Progress (Alianza para el Progreso) Peruvian Humanist Party (Partido Humanista Peruano) Christian People's Party (Partido Popular Cristiano) National Restoration (Restauración Nacional)National Solidarity Alliance National Solidarity (Solidaridad Nacional) Change 90 (Cambio 90) Always Together (Siempre Unidos) All for Peru (Todos por el Perú) Union for Peru (Unión por el Perú)Justice, Technology and EcologyNational Awakening PartyPeruvian Fonavista PartyNational Force PartyAhead Political Party

+ Voluntarily Withdrawn Political party Candidate Withdrawal Name for President for 1st Vice-president for 2nd Vice-president Date MotiveAmerican Popular Revolutionary AllianceAPRAMercedes Araóz FernándezJavier VelásquezNidia Vílchez 17 January Internal Party disputesSocial Force Fuerza SocialManuel Rodríguez CuadrosVladimiro HuarocElva Quiñones 18 March Mr. Rodríguez claimed lack of credibility of electoral process

Alejandro Toledo is a former president.

Keiko Fujimori campaign ran on support of the status quo free-market policies, however she was seen as hindered because of her ties to her father Alberto Fujimori, who is in prison for corruption and human rights crimes following a crackdown on the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement in the 1990s, following the Japanese embassy hostage crisis in 1996–1997. In addition, her campaign has been criticized for vote-buying."Peru Elections Near: A Look at the Candidates" . WOLA, 26 May 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a former prime minister, is also known as "El Gringo" because he has U.S. citizenship and is of European descent. His support was seen as limited outside Lima because of his support amongst the country's elite.

Ollanta Humala, who had once led a military revolt in 2000 that was quickly put down, softened what was seen as his anti-capitalist tone to look more moderate along the lines of Brazil's former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He told a campaign rally that "We are willing to make many concessions to unite Peru, we are going to talk with all political forces. Social problems must be resolved through dialogue. Let's vote without fear." Voters were seen to vote against Garcia in order to have a "fairer division of Peru's booming economy – backed by rich mineral resources – a key issue for more than a third of the population still living in poverty." The other candidates tried to discredit him by saying he would increase state control over the economy, roll back reforms and jeopardise about $40bn in potential foreign investment over the next decade in mining and energy exploration. Moody's ratings agency also said that Peru's investment-grade credit rating would not be threatened should Humala win. Despite this the sol and the Lima Stock Exchange's flagship index main stock index fell over the two weeks before the first round of the election on speculation that Humala would raise mining taxes, increase state subsidies and/or tighten control of such "strategic" sectors as electricity.

Opinion polls conducted in late May 2011 showed Fujimori and Humala in a statistical tie in a runoff vote scheduled for 5 June 2011, with one point separating the two candidates."Peru Elections Near: A Look at the Candidates" . WOLA, 1 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.

Support for the second round

Some of the candidates and parties eliminated in second round have expressed their support for one of the contestants in the run-off election.

Alliance for the Great Change candidate P. P. Kuczynski declared that he would vote for Fujimori, as well as his running mate Máximo San Román and ally Humberto Lay (National Restoration), whereas Humanists' leader Yehude Simon declared his support for Humala.

The Possible Peru Alliance and its candidate Alejandro Toledo also announced support for the "Peru Wins"-candidate in exchange for a participation in Humala's aspired government.

National Solidarity leader Luis Castañeda on the other hand uttered his backing for the Force 2011 frontwoman.

APRA did not have a clear party line but former Prime minister Javier Velásquez inclined to Keiko Fujimori's side.

Nobel laureate writer Mario Vargas Llosa, liberal presidential candidate of 1990 and opponent of Alberto Fujimori, stated that he would "never vote" for Fujimori's daughter and warned the nation of a "return to dictatorship" that came up with a victory of Keiko. He, personally, would vote for Humala, "unhappily and with fear" but as the lesser evil.

Debates First round Date Host Location Moderator Subject Highlights 3 March El Comercio El Comercio headquartersLima Juan Paredes Castro Education, security, social inclusion and free subjectThe eleven presidential candidates presented their proposals. Alejandro Toledo won the newspaper poll. 13 March Jurado Nacional de EleccionesColegio MédicoLimaFederico SalazarVaried 3 April Asociación Civil Transparencia Sheraton HotelLima José María Salcedo VariedOnly the top five candidates are to be included. This has caused various criticisms from other candidates, who argue that the debate is undemocratic and exclusive. Political analysts agreed that the 5 main candidates didn't make new proposals.

Second round Date Host Location Moderator Subject Highlights 29 May National Jury of Elections Marriott HotelLima José María Salcedo VariedPresidential hopefuls Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori squared off in a bitter final debate on Sunday in Lima, one week before general elections that will decide the Andean country's next president.

Opinion polls

Results President

Congress

Andean Parliament

Reactions Fujimori congratulated Humala on his victory after admitting defeat.Peru election winner Humala congratulated by rival. BBC (7 June 2011). Retrieved 28 July 2011.

States – After the first-round, President Evo Morales sent a letter to Humala congratulating him and said of those who voted for him did so "to advance with the transformation of their nation and its institutions...Receive in my name, from the government and from the Bolivian people, a fraternal and revolutionary salute." – President Juan Manuel Santos called Humala the next day to congratulate him for his "victory in the electoral vote that consolidates the Peruvian democracy. Santos reiterated Colombia's commitment to continue working at the strengthening of relations between the two countries and of all Latin America.""Santos congratules Humala on winning Peru elections" . Colombia Reports (6 June 2011). Retrieved 28 July 2011. This was despite concerns in Colombia of being "surrounded by leftists.""What does Humala's election mean for Colombia?" . Colombia Reports (13 June 2011). Retrieved 28 July 2011. Finance Minister Juan Carlos Echeverry said that a merger between the two countries' stock exchanges was unlikely to be affected. He also said that Humala could "prove the markets wrong" in reference to concerns over former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's electoral victory. However, the Bogotá Stock Exchange indices also fell.

Economic The Lima Stock Exchange index also plunged the following day amid concerns of Humala's economic policies and cabinet ministers.

Government formation Former president Alejandro Toledo was set to be in talk with Humala to join his government in some form. However, in mid-July he quit the talks, though he said legislators from their two parties would vote together on some issues.Faries, Bill. (16 July 2011) Peru Party Ends Talks Over Humala Government Role, Peru.21 Says. Bloomberg. Retrieved 28 July 2011.

About a week before his inauguration Humala introduced a cabinet line-up that was positively received by financial markets and the business community because most appointees were read as "moderate" and "establishment" figures who thus allayed apparent fears of radical change. His cabinet line-up includes: