Piero Corvetto, the head of Peru's National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), rejected allegations of serious irregularities during the country's recent first-round elections during a congressional testimony on Tuesday.
Speaking before the Oversight Commission, Corvetto characterized the logistical disruptions as a "punctual error" rather than a failure of the electoral system, according to reports from latercera.com.
The official explained that the primary issue involved the inability to distribute electoral packages on time in certain sectors of Lima, specifically affecting voters in the capital's western and southern zones.
"There were no serious irregularities. There was an extraordinary punctual error," Corermto stated, according to the outlet.
These delays forced approximately 63,300 voters to postpone their ballots until the following day, April 13.
Investigations and arrests
While Corvetto defended the agency's performance, noting that "ONPE has addressed it well," he issued apologies to the citizens affected by the delay.
The logistical failures were concentrated in three districts in southern Lima, where the lack of materials prompted political and social criticism.
The National Board of Justice has since opened an investigation into Corvetto to determine potential administrative responsibilities regarding the election day events.
In a separate development, authorities detained José Edilberto Samamé Blas, the agency's electoral management manager. Samamé Blas faces accusations of omitting or delaying his official duties during the electoral process, latercera.com reported.
The first round of general elections took place under intense political scrutiny. Keiko Fujimori, representing Fuerza Popular, led the count with 17% of the vote after 79.8% of the ballots were tallied.
Fujimori now awaits the results of a runoff against several candidates, including Rafael López Aliaga, Jorge Nieto, Roberto Sánchez, and Ricardo Belmont.
