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"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource."
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In Peru, two weak choices
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| Parent(s) |
Race
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| Contributor | Jason |
| Last Edited | Jason Apr 14, 2011 11:46pm |
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| Category | Opinion |
| Media | Newspaper - Los Angeles Times |
| News Date | Friday, April 15, 2011 09:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Peru's political system has been ailing for decades. Corruption, violence and deep economic inequalities have left it weakened. Now, the first round of voting in the presidential race, which took place Sunday, threatens to leave the country in critical condition.
From a field of five candidates, two emerged as front-runners likely to move on to a runoff election June 5. Both appear wanting in experience, and concerns about their commitment to democracy prompted Peruvian writer and Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa to say the decision will be like "choosing between AIDS and terminal cancer."
The top vote-getter, Ollanta Humala, is a former military officer turned fiery populist who promises to redistribute the country's wealth and rewrite the constitution, raising concerns that he might try to extend his term in office. Once a vocal admirer of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, he has tried in recent years to tone down the anti-capitalistic rhetoric that had prompted comparisons to Bolivia and Ecuador's leaders and to position himself nearer the center. |
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