Fujimori claims 500k votes suspicious in Peru elex

Conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori on Wednesday called into question some half a million ballots amid a close count with her rival in Peru's presidential runoff. Fujimori called on the National Jury of Elections to investigate 500,000 votes as the margin which sees her trailing leftist Pedro Castillo remains narrow.

The daughter of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, who has not presented evidence for her claims, said the review of ballots was needed "for this process to be transparent and clean".

Thousands of supporters of her Popular Force party took to the streets of Lima on Wednesday, carrying banners asserting a defence of democracy and against communism.

With 98% of ballots tallied, Castillo had 50.2% of the vote, while conservative Fujimori had 49.8%, according to official results.

Peru’s elections agency, the National Office of Electoral Processes, continued to count votes cast in remote rural areas and abroad.

The winner of the runoff will succeed President Francisco Sagasti on July 28.