Peru’s mandatory presidential vote translated into long lines in the Mission, and will again in June

Maybe you saw this scene on Sunday and wondered what was up? Turns out it was election day in Peru, and voting is mandatory for all Peruvians even if you’re overseas. How nice.

Unfortunately, the three moderate candidates split the moderate votes, leaving two weirdos to compete for the presidency in a June runoff. The LA Times reports that Peru is basically fucked:

Both appear wanting in experience, and concerns about their commitment to democracy prompted Peruvian writer and Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa to say the decision will be like “choosing between AIDS and terminal cancer.”

Read on. (Thanks, Kristina!)

[Photo by reader Mennlay A. via our Facebook wall]

3 Responses to “Peru’s mandatory presidential vote translated into long lines in the Mission, and will again in June”

  1. SCUM says:

    I thought that was a line for free coke, as all Peruvians are required to snort it even if overseas.

  2. Someone says:

    Yay! I get photo credit! I actually had no idea what was going on. I was in bed when the line began to form…

    M

  3. dazzle me says:

    hard to say that they’re fucked if they voted for these folks. if humala does even 1/2 of what he says he will (which will be tough, since he’ll control not even 1/3 of the seats in congress), it could well represent a massive decrease in poverty in the impoverished rural regions. that would be a pretty good result!