Peru interim president urges graceful election concession

Peru's interim President José María Balcázar has called for a dignified acceptance of electoral results, urging the losing candidate in the upcoming presidential runoff to extend a hand to the victor. "The loser should be noble and recognize the winner because Peru needs work and more work, not fights," Balcázar stated after casting his vote in Chiclayo.

Balcázar, who is serving a transitional term until the new president is inaugurated, stressed the importance of peaceful and orderly power transfers. "In a democratic country, we have to learn to respect. What has always happened here is fighting, but I hope that this time the presidential sash can be handed over peacefully and in an orderly fashion and that the next government can start doing work for the country," he said.

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The loser should be noble and recognize the winner because Peru needs work and more work, not fights.

The election pits Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, against Roberto Sánchez, a representative of former president Pedro Castillo. This runoff is the latest chapter in Peru's decade of political instability, marked by a succession of presidential destitutions. The winner will be the country's ninth president in ten years, governing from 2026 to 2031.

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In a democratic country, we have to learn to respect. What has always happened here is fighting, but I hope that this time the presidential sash can be handed over peacefully and in an orderly fashion and that the next government can start doing work for the country.