Race tied between left- and right-wing rivals in Peru’s presidential vote

The split illustrates deep political polarisation in the South American country.The left- and right-wing contenders in Peru’s presidential race were neck and neck as counting of the votes cast in Sunday’s election neared completion.With nearly 94 percent of polling centres reporting results on Monday, leftist congressman Roberto Sanchez edged ahead of right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, reversing the slender lead Fujimori held earlier in the day.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Fujimori vs Sanchez: What to know about Peru’s presidential run-off electionlist 2 of 4From first lady to president? Inside the rise of Peru’s Keiko Fujimorilist 3 of 4Peru polls open in Keiko Fujimori, Roberto Sanchez presidential run-offlist 4 of 4Peru’s Sanchez visits jailed ex-president as votes are countedend of listSanchez reached 50.01 percent of the vote, while Fujimori, a four-time candidate and daughter of former hardline President Alberto Fujimori, had 49.99 percent. With fewer than 4,300 votes separating the candidates, the even split illustrates deep political polarisation in the South American country.Fujimori had earlier led by less than one percentage point. The count narrowed as the final ballots were tallied in rural areas, where Sanchez has dominated in Peru’s tense election season. Both of the rivals are vying to become the South American country’s ninth leader in a decade, following a series of forced resignations and impeachments.“As of now, there is no winner. There will be long days ahead,” said Fujimori late on Sunday. Sanchez described the race as a “dead heat”.“The result reflects the country’s divisions,” Paulo Vilca, a political analyst at the Peruvian Studies Institute, told the AFP news agency. “Whoever wins will have half the country against them.”Divergent visionsFujimori, 51, has pitched her candidacy in the tough-on-crime mould of her father, vowing to “defeat terrorism” and impose a 60-day state of emergency.