LIMA, Peru: Keiko Fujimori has won Peru's presidency on her fourth attempt, bringing back a very controversial political family to power and reopening deep divisions in the country.

Fujimori, a 51-year-old conservative, narrowly defeated left-wing lawmaker Roberto Sanchez in one of the closest elections in Peru's modern history. The final result took weeks to confirm after a tight runoff vote in June.

The election process included disputed ballots and a long counting period, although international observers said everything was conducted properly. With nearly all votes counted, Fujimori gained a lead that could not be beaten.

Sanchez has called the election fraudulent and said he will not accept the result. Peru's election authority will announce the official winner in mid-July.

Fujimori is expected to take office on July 28 for a five-year term. She will lead a country facing rising crime, corruption, and political instability. In fact, no president in Peru has completed a full term in the last ten years.

She will become Peru's first elected female president. This victory comes after she lost three earlier elections in 2011, 2016, and 2021, all by very small margins. Many voters have long opposed her due to her family name.

Experts say her success shows the lasting influence of "Fujimorismo," the political movement linked to her father, former president Alberto Fujimori. He ruled from 1990 to 2000, bringing stability to the country but also being criticized for authoritarian rule. He spent 16 years in prison for human rights abuses and died in 2024 after being released.

Keiko Fujimori entered politics at a young age, acting as first lady at 19 after her parents separated. She later built her own political career and was elected to Congress in 2006 with a record number of votes.

Although she once tried to distance herself from her father's legacy, she has recently embraced it, presenting herself as a strong leader who can restore order amid rising crime.

Some of her proposals include bringing back "faceless judges," a controversial system used in the 1990s for terrorism and drug cases, which was later criticized for violating fair trial rights. She has also focused on economic stability, protecting private property, and building closer ties with the United States.

Her political career has also faced legal challenges. She spent about 18 months in pretrial detention between 2018 and 2020 over allegations of illegal campaign funding, though the charges were dropped last year.

Her running mate, Luis Galarreta, said that experience changed her, describing her as more thoughtful and practical now.

However, Fujimori remains a divisive figure. Critics say her right-wing Popular Force party, which is expected to be the largest minority group in Congress, has contributed to political instability.

There were protests against her candidacy in Lima before the final vote, and she received only 11 percent of the votes in the first round.

She will also have to deal with a divided political system where parties struggle to work together. Corruption scandals have affected many leaders in Peru, and the country has had eight presidents and 21 prime ministers in the past decade, showing a lack of stable leadership.

Fujimori takes over from Jose Balcazar, who became president earlier this year after Congress removed his predecessor over a scandal involving secret meetings with a Chinese businessman.

Peru now has a two-chamber parliament again, but no party has a majority, making it harder to govern and leading to frequent impeachment attempts. Still, Fujimori's allies may give her a small advantage, as her party will have enough seats in the Senate to block impeachment.

Analysts say that even though some opposition to Fujimori has weakened, it is still strong. They also warn that divisions in Congress may make it difficult for her to govern effectively.

Some experts hope that Peru will finally achieve stable leadership.