Peru's Fujimori seen winning presidential election next week: poll

[LIMA] Peruvian presidential contender Keiko Fujimori is seen beating rival Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in the June 5 run-off election, according to an Ipsos poll released on Sunday, consolidating the lead she had gained in recent weeks.

Ms Fujimori, the 40-year-old daughter of imprisoned ex-president Alberto Fujimori, was seen garnering 45.9 per cent of votes, according to the poll published in local newspaper El Comercio.

Mr Kuczynski, a 77-year-old former World Bank economist who narrowly moved onto the second-round election after coming in second to Ms Fujimori ahead of a leftist rival, is seen getting 40.6 per cent of votes.

The Ipsos survey of 1,815 people has a 2.3 point margin of error up or down and was taken between May 26-27. Some 13.5 per cent of voters were still undecided or planned to cast a spoiled ballot.

Ms Fujimori was seen winning 53.1 per cent of valid votes, which does not include blank or spoiled votes, compared to Mr Kuczynski's 46.9 per cent.

Ms Fujimori has solidified her lead despite a scandal involving a top aide. The senior aide resigned from her centre-right party in a bid to calm an uproar following media reports that linked the two to money laundering, accusations that both have denied.

Ms Fujimori and Mr Kuczynski are scheduled to face off Sunday night in the last televised debate before voters head to the ballot box.

In 2011, Ms Fujimori lost her first presidential bid to President Ollanta Humala, who cannot run again this year because of term limits.

REUTERS