Peru’s National Elections Board (JNE) has ruled that Alex Kouri will not be able to run for election for Lima’s mayor, Radioprogramas reported.
The JNE’s rejection of Kouri’s candidacy was based on his residency. Kouri did not comply with the requirement of living in Lima for at least two years continuously since July 5.
“We respect the decision of the JNE,” Kouri wrote on his Twitter account. “We thank our supporters for their help and we ask them to stay calm.”
Kouri’s advisor and former congressman, Fernan Altuve, will replace him as the candidate for the Cambio Radical party for Lima’s mayor, daily El Comercio reported.
Kouri was previously the mayor of Callao, the port city which borders Lima. In a recent poll, Kouri was running in second place with 19% of respondents saying they would vote in the elections for Lima’s mayor, which are planned for October 3.
Former congresswoman and two time presidential candidate Lourdes Flores leads the pool of candidates with 36.4% support.
Political analyst Alfredo Torres, who is the director of polling firm Ipsos Apoyo, said Flores could benefit from the JNE’s decision because she has similar traits to Kouri, such as political experience, daily Peru.21 reported.
For analyst Fernando Tuesta, the director of the Catholic University’s (PUCP) Institute for Public Opinion, Kouri was unlikely to win the election for Lima’s mayor anyway.
“As things were going, Kouri wasn’t going to win,” Tuesta said.
Kouri’s adviser and former congressman,
