Word: runoff
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President Alberto Fujimori's decision to accept a runoff election has walked his country back from the brink, but he's no quitter - and that suggests Peru may be in for a turbulent couple of months. The runoff was announced late Wednesday after electoral officials reported that Fujimori had narrowly failed to achieve a majority in a poll tainted by charges of vote-rigging. But that announcement may be a reflection that the president has been feeling foreign and domestic pressure over charges that he was stealing the election...
...forced by age and infirmity to give up on the dream, Fujimori has succeeded in conjuring up a third presidential bid even though his constitution only allows two. But Peru's voters didn't play along in Sunday's election, denying Fujimori a majority and forcing him into a runoff against Alejandro Toledo, a liberal economist whose support stood at only 4 percent some four weeks ago. Lima was wracked by protests Monday as Toledo supporters marched on the presidential palace accusing Fujimori of rigging the polls - a charge that may resonate internationally, after the U.S. government last month endorsed...
...Toledo to fall out of the race. "And election observers had warned that with many of the far-flung election booths under military control, there may be attempts to rig the poll," says McGirk. Now, Toledo, who led his supporters' protest march, plans to go for broke in a runoff vote. But Fujimori doesn't give up easily. After all, a president who, like Yeltsin, once used his military to close down an uncooperative Congress isn't going to be spooked by a few million angry voters...
...also quickly trying to carry the McCain reformist mantle by relentlessly lashing out against Gore's alleged and acknowledged fund-raising improprieties. While Gore isn't tipping his hand on the salvos he's got in store for Bush, it's only a question of time until this runoff reaches its full promise as a spectacle that will have Vince McMahon and Don King bickering over the pay-per-view rights. Gore built his primary campaign on the slogan "I'm a fighter, I want to fight for you," and he's never been one to turn the other cheek...
...Iran's parliament, it's reformers 86, conservatives 40, independents 36, and those with unknown affiliations 8. There's still more counting to do; votes from Tehran weren't due to be counted until late Sunday, and about 50 closely-contested seats will have to wait for an April runoff to be decided. And counting won't be easy, not with an 83-percent turnout and ballots that can have up to 30 different names scrawled on them needing to be transcribed...