PERUVIANS ELECT GARCIA PRESIDENT

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Garcia greets supporters celebrating his remarkable comeback With most of the votes counted in the second round of Peru's election, it has become clear that ex-president Alan Garcia has won a convincing victory. Mr Garcia polled 53.52% of ballots to 46.47% for nationalist rival Ollanta Humala, with 91% of votes counted. The two men had fought a fierce and aggressive campaign. Mr Garcia, who served for five turbulent years from 1985-1990, told cheering supporters: "We thank the people of Peru." We must think this night of all of our past errors, about all our defects and make an act of contrition Alan Garcia

Second chance for Garcia

He said the result was a blow for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who had strongly supported his opponent. "Today, the majority of the country has delivered a message in favour of national independence, of national sovereignty," he said. "...They have defeated the efforts by Mr Hugo Chavez to integrate us into his militaristic and backwards expansion project he intends to impose over South America. Today, Peru has said no."

GARCIA'S PLANS

Prudent fiscal management
Slash government spending
Encourage foreign investment
Ensure foreign companies pay more taxes
Tough on crime
Wants free trade agreement with US revised

Profile: Alan Garcia
Peru wary of Garcia's past
In pictures: Peru votes

The Venezuelan deputy foreign minister said Mr Garcia's election would not bring about an immediate change in bilateral relations. The two countries withdrew their ambassadors last month amid recriminations over MrChavez's alleged meddling in the election. Mr Humala accepted defeat but said his nationalist project had secured "an historic political and social victory". For weeks, the two men vying to be president had traded insults and allegations.
Mr Garcia tried to portray Mr Humala as a dangerous threat to democracy and peace, while Mr Humala reminded Peruvians of the mistakes of Mr Garcia's presidency, which was marked by rebel attacks and rampant inflation.

Mr Garcia won majorities in the capital, Lima, and along the more developed northern coast, but Mr Humala polled well in the southern and central areas. Many Peruvians can hardly believe Mr Garcia's victory, the BBC's Daniel Schweimler in Lima says. The former president, always a charismatic speaker, was able to hold the attention of huge crowds, confident and articulate.

Ollanta Humala went jogging before casting his voteLHis biggest challenge now, our correspondent says, is to unite a politically divided country. The new president acknowledged the challenges ahead as he greeted cheering supporters at the headquarters of his Apra party in Lima. "We must think this night of all of our past errors, about all our defects and make an act of contrition," Mr Garcia told supporters gathered at the headquarters of his Apra party. No-one had been defeated, he said, and promised to work to ensure development in the impoverished south of the country, Mr Humala's heartland.

During the campaign, Mr Garcia frequently referred to the former army officer's involvement in an armed uprising, and criticised his lack of political experience and close ties to Mr Chavez. In their desperation to gain an advantage, Peru's two candidates left a climate of distrust and confusion in a country where voting is compulsory. Many Peruvians said they would not vote for either man and would destroy their ballot papers. Even more said neither candidate appealed and they would have to decide which of the pair was the lesser of two evils.

BBC NEWS REPORT.