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Toledo Threatens Withdrawal From Peru's Presidential Runoff

Aired May 20, 2000 - 8:08 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Peru's presidential election may come down to a one-man contest. A second round is scheduled for May 28th, but opposition candidate Alejandro Toledo says he won't run unless there's a delay in the vote.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck reports from Peru's capital, Lima, on the latest allegations of ballot fraud there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The lyrics to the campaign song he wrote say incumbent Alberto Fujimori won a first round of voting and will win a second round in Peru's election. But if his rival Alejandro Toledo has his way, that second round will not take place right away.

DIEGO GARCIA CAYAN, TOLEDO SPOKESMAN: Change of the date is absolutely necessary to have free and Democratic elections in Peru.

WHITBECK: Toledo and his advisers say there is no time before May 28th's runoff to correct flaws in the computer system that is used to count votes, flaws that during the first round of voting last April led an observer mission from the Organization of American States to say the Peruvian electoral process lacks legitimacy.

Several countries, including Britain and the United States, criticized the process and called for revisions to the vote-counting system. Days of street protests ensued.

This time around, Peruvian citizens groups want to make sure voter rights are respected.

RAFAEL RONCOGLIOLO, TRANPARENCIA: We have to demand respect for our right to vote, and we have to be able, again, to defend our vote.

WHITBECK: Toledo says if the authorities do not change the date of the second round to allow time to clean up the vote-counting process, he will not participate. That could bring about a constitutional crisis.

CAYAN: Of course that election won't be a constitutional election, because there's no way in which a president that doesn't want to be a candidate in an election can be forced to do so.

WHITBECK: President Fujimori insists the election will be clean.

(on camera): And so far, the electoral authorities agree, giving no indication they will change the date of the second runoff, which means in the next few days Toledo might end up participating in street protests rather than heading up campaign rallies.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Lima, Peru.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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