1990 Peruvian general election

In the elections held on April 8, 1990, Mario Vargas Llosa received 32.57% of the valid votes, which constituted 27% of the total votes cast. This was more than 23% below the threshold required for a first-round victory. Alberto Fujimori, initially polling at 1%, significantly increased his support to secure second place with 29.09% of the valid votes. Luis Alva Castro, representing the incumbent APRA party, finished in third place with 22.50% of the valid votes. This election marked the first time that APRA did not secure either first or second place in a free election.

In the 1990 Peruvian general elections, no other candidate exceeded 10% of the votes. The two main left-wing groups, Izquierda Unida and Izquierda Socialista, finished in fourth and fifth place with 8.20% and 4.74% of the votes, respectively. At the legislative level, FREDEMO emerged as the first minority in both chambers, securing 20 senators and 62 deputies. Despite its presidential candidate's lower performance, the APRA party maintained its position as the second largest minority, obtaining 17 senators and 53 deputies. Cambio 90, led by presidential candidate Alberto Fujimori, ranked third, capturing 14 senate seats and 32 in the Chamber of Deputies.

Due to mandatory voting laws, voter turnout was high in the 1990 Peruvian general elections, reaching 78.30% in the presidential election. However, participation was notably lower in the legislative elections, with 68.10% for the Chamber of Deputies and 68.70% for the Senate.

Since no candidate received more than 50% of the valid votes in the first round of the 1990 Peruvian presidential election, a runoff was necessary. This marked the first instance in Peruvian electoral history where a runoff was required. The two highest-voted candidates, Mario Vargas Llosa and Alberto Fujimori, advanced to the second round, which took place on June 10.

During the runoff of the 1990 Peruvian presidential election, Alberto Fujimori received endorsements from Izquierda Unida and Izquierda Socialista, along with a faction of the Partido Aprista Peruano led by Alan García. On the other hand, Mario Vargas Llosa was supported by Ricardo Belmont, the newly elected mayor, and Ezequiel Ataucusi, the leader of FREPAP. Additionally, Vargas Llosa received backing from various media outlets and personalities, including the newspaper Expreso, Panamericana Television, and television host Augusto Ferrando of the program Trampolín a la fama.^[2]

Alberto Fujimori achieved a decisive victory in the runoff election with 62.32% of the valid votes, equivalent to 56.28% of the total votes cast. This victory made him the first elected president of Peru since the restoration of democracy to secure over half of the total vote. Mario Vargas Llosa, his opponent, received a minor increase in support, garnering 37.68% of the valid votes or 34.03% of the absolute vote.^[3] Although Vargas Llosa had won across the country in the first round, in the runoff, he only managed to secure a majority in the department of Loreto. Voter turnout for the runoff was slightly higher than in the first round, at 79.50%.

At the time of the 1990 elections, the government of Alan Garcia, from the Peruvian Aprista Party (APRA), faced significant public disapproval. This disapproval was due to attempts to nationalize the banking system, purportedly to control rampant inflation that had been uncontrollable since 1987. Additionally, Garcia's administration was marred by corruption scandals and a resurgence of terrorist violence, notably from the terrorist organization Shining Path.^[4] Consequently, it was anticipated that the elections would prompt a significant right-wing response.

During the first round of the 1990 presidential elections in Peru, Mario Vargas Llosa,^[5] a widely recognized writer, ran as the candidate of the tripartite coalition Frente Democrático (FREDEMO). Vargas Llosa was initially favored to win decisively, potentially eliminating the need for a runoff, particularly given the perceived weakness of the incumbent APRA party. APRA nominated Luis Alva Castro, its second vice-president, as its candidate. However, as the campaign progressed, Alberto Fujimori, representing the then new and marginal party Cambio 90, began to gain increasing support in the polls. Fujimori's rise was attributed to his moderate profile,^[6] which drew support away from the traditional candidates.^[3][7][8][9]

The presidential debate between candidates Mario Vargas Llosa and Alberto Fujimori took place on June 3, 1990, during the runoff campaign.^[10] This event marked the first televised debate in the history of Peruvian presidential elections.^[11][12][13]

The two chambers of the elected Congress in Peru were unable to complete their constitutional terms due to a coup d'état on April 5, 1992, led by President Alberto Fujimori. This action dissolved the legislature and intervened in the judiciary,^[20] effectively suspending the constitutional governance. Following the coup, Fujimori governed with full powers until the end of 1993, when a Democratic Constituent Congress was inaugurated. Despite the political upheaval, Fujimori managed to complete his term and was reelected in 1995. This period of governance led to significant constitutional reform, which abolished the Senate and transitioned the legislature to a unicameral system. Consequently, the 1990 elections marked the last for the bicameral body.