LIMA: Keiko Fujimori, daughter of an ex-president jailed for massacres, topped the vote Sunday in elections that will make her Peru's first female leader if she wins a runoff, partial results showed.
Fujimori was on top with 38 percent of votes in line with earlier exit polls, with one fifth of votes counted, state electoral body ONPE chief Mariano Cucho said in a televised address.
In second place came her centrist rival Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on 24.5 percent.
Since Fujimori fell short of 50 percent, she must now face Kuczynski in a runoff on June 5.
Both have promised to boost the economy and fight crime in the South American mineral-exporting country of 30 million people.
Fujimori earlier celebrated victory as unofficial surveys showed her far in the lead.
Voters "are demanding change. This is a great responsibility, which we are going to honor," she told cheering supporters.
"Peru wants reconciliation and no more conflict," she said. "We invite all Peruvians on June 5 to opt for change and for the future, because the future of Peru is on the way."
Some 23 million Peruvians were called to vote in an election marred by alleged vote-buying.
The 40-year-old daughter of former leader Alberto Fujimori survived attempts to ban her from the race and mistrust over her father's legacy.
Observers complained that the electoral process was undermined when half the candidates dropped out or were excluded from the running under a tough new electoral law.
Fujimori and other leading candidates were accused of wooing voters with gifts. She and Kuczynski were cleared of the charges.
But centrist candidate Julio Guzman, previously second in the polls behind Fujimori, was banned from running due to irregularities in the candidate-selection process.
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