Peru candidate rallies supporters

Toledo tells his supporters the poll should be postponed

By Stephen Cviic in Lima

Peru's opposition presidential candidate, Alejandro Toledo, has told thousands of his supporters in the capital Lima to take to the streets to protest against the government of President Alberto Fujimori.

The rally came a day after Mr Toledo called for a boycott of next weekend's presidential poll, alleging massive fraud.

He is demanding that the election should be postponed until the middle of June.

International observers also say that the conditions for a fair poll are not in place.

Rally

A large crowd turned out to see Toledo in Lima

Despite his boycott call, Mr Toledo is still behaving very much like a candidate.

On a chilly Friday night in the centre of Lima, he told thousands of cheering supporters of his plans for better health care and education, and said time was up for what he described as the Fujimori dictatorship.

He called for a campaign of peaceful resistance to persuade the president and the electoral authorities to postpone the poll until 18 June.

He also referred scornfully to the media campaign against him, an allegation backed up by international observers who have complained of blatant pro-government bias, especially on Peru's television stations.

Gamble

Meanwhile, President Fujimori has continued on the campaign trail, rejecting calls for a postponement of the poll.

Alberto Fujimori is still campaigning

The president's supporters say Mr Toledo is behaving in an ambiguous way, since despite his calls for a boycott, he has not formally withdrawn his name from next Sunday's ballot paper.

Alejandro Toledo has indeed taken a big gamble. He seems to be hoping that the prospect of an uncontested election will put huge international pressure on the president to give way.

The United States has supported the demand for a postponement of the election, but has given no indication of what action it will take if the request is ignored.