Toledo leads in Peruvian presidential election opinion polls

[Judi Lynn]

Monday, March 7th 2011 - 07:35 UTC

Toledo leads in Peruvian presidential election opinion polls

With just over a month for the presidential elections April 10, former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo continues to lead comfortably vote intention according to the latest public opinion polls. Lawmaker Keiko Fujimori and former Lima mayor Luis Castañeda are runner ups but ten points below.

The Datum poll shows Toledo with 29% vote intention (up one percentage point) while Ms Fujimori and Castañeda are tied at 18%, having lost one percentage point from the previous poll. Ultra nationalist Ollanta Humala, (who lost to current president Alan Garcia in the run-off in 2006) figures with 13% (up two percentage points) and liberal economist Pablo Kuczynski is also up two full points from 5% to 7%.

Toledo, who has been travelling over the past few days in the northern areas of the country, where there is a lack of hospitals, roads and other basic services, is running again for the presidency claiming to be wanting to finish the social reforms that have remained pending after his first government (2001-2006), in a country where poverty affects at least 34% of some 30 million inhabitants.

Toledo has promised higher taxes on the rich and on windfall earnings from mining companies (though without modifying contracts). In the last eight years Peru has benefited from the commodities boom as a strong exporter of basic metals and gas.

More:
http://en.mercopress.com/2011/03/07/toledo-leads-in-peruvian-presidential-election-opinion-polls

http://i.i.com.com.nyud.net:8090/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/03/04/AP110304139212.jpg

Peru's Presidential candidate Alejandro Toledo, of the
political party Peru Possible,wearing traditional clothes,
waves to supporters during a campaign rally in Ayacucho,
Peru, Friday, March 4, 2011. Peru's presidential elections
are scheduled for April 10, 2011.

Credit: AP Photo/Martin Mejia