Peru general elections: Fujimori leading, runoff likely

Voters in Peru headed to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president and members of Congress.

Sunday's election took place amid a spike in violent crime and corruption, and there was currently no clear favorite candidate among disgruntled voters.

Keiko Fujimori, a conservative former congresswoman and daughter of the late strongman President Alberto Fujimori, looked likely to face fellow conservative Rafael "Porky" Lopez Aliaga in a runoff.

Although Fujimori had a slight lead on Monday morning, it fell far short of the more than 50% needed to win outright, making it highly likely there will be a runoff in June.

Some of those in contention

There were 35 names on the ballot, highlighting a discontented electorate that has had to contend with nine presidents in the last 10 years.

Fujimori vowed to crack down on crime but has also defended laws that experts say make it difficult to prosecute criminals.

Sunday marked her fourth bid for the presidency.

Aliaga, the conservative former mayor of Peru's capital, Lima, is also in contention and has proposed building prisons in the Amazon region and allowing members of the judiciary to conceal their identities to shield judges from criminal gangs.

He has also pushed for the expulsion of foreigners living in the country illegally.

Popular comedian Carlos Alvarez is also campaigning on a tough anti-crime platform.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez