Biggest presidential fraud ever: 234,000 voted for King, but there were only 15,000 voters

Charles DB King in Liberia, Alberto Fujimori in Peru: the biggest fraud and biggest surprise ever in presidential elections.

We were in 1927, practically 100 years ago. THE Liberia went to votes. General elections, which in practice are elections presidential.

Those who went to vote had no idea (or some might have), but they were participating in the most fraudulent election everaccording to the Guinness Book of Records.

Then-president Charles DB King achieved his third victory. He reached 234 thousand votes, against 9 thousand from his opponent Thomas JR Faulkner.

In addition to the overwhelming margin raising doubts, a “detail” stood out: Charles DB King got 234,000 votes – and there were only 15,000 voters.

But the result stayed. It cost.

It reminds him that Liberia is the oldest modern republic in Africa, founded by black people who were freed in the USA in the early and mid-19th century.

Thomas JR Faulkner was from the People’s Party, Charles DB King was from the True Whig Party. Despite having lost, he did not remain silent: he accused King of allowing the slavery in Liberia, and that senior Government officials and the army were involved in the forced transport of workers to the then Fernão do Pó (today Bioco), an island that was Spanish territory – after having been part of the Portuguese empire.

The accusations did not go unnoticed by other countries. There were international reactions, pressure, and a League of Nations Committee was established to examine the allegations.

In 1930, the League of Nations published the committee’s report, the “Christy Report”: confirmed many of Faulkner’s allegations and implicated several government officials, including Vice President Allen Yancy. There were slaves in the construction of public works, such as roads in the interior of the country; some tribes practiced domestic servitude that could be considered slavery.

That year, three years after the presidential election, President Charles DB King and Vice President Allen Yancy (among others) they resigned.

Surprise in Peru

After the fraud, the surprise. And we changed continents.

No Peru, em 1990, Mario Vargas Llosaalready very famous at the time due to his writing career, won the first round. With a slight margin (3 percentage points), however.

In the second round, the Democratic Front candidate appeared as the clear favorite. But on the other side was Alberto Fujimori, second game Change 90.

But who was Alberto Fujimori? That’s the point: he was a newcomer to politics, a unknown which was close to 1% nas polls three months earlier, I remembered it at that time.

So how did you win? Much because of what was happening in Peru at that time.

The government led by Alan Garcia unfolded in attempts to nationalization of the banking system; and this began to give rise to fury of local people, despite the government’s justification – controlling uncontrollable inflation, which had started in 1987.

The same García government began to be “hit” by corruption scandals and terrorism.

Mario Vargas Llosa appeared as a new face in politics. It was even thought that he would win in the first round.

But it ended up “to paste” a little to agenda do government, when presenting a list of privatizations.

The candidate of the ruling party (American People’s Revolutionary Alliance) was Luis Alva Castro; He placed 3rd in the first round, and didn’t even make it to the second.

The campaign progressed and Alberto Fujimori – despite coming from a new, smaller party – rose. He had a better profile moderate and ended up attract support even from traditional candidates.

When the day of the second round arrived, the candidate with Japanese ancestry achieved more than 62%, far from the almost 38% by Mario Vargas Llosa.

A surprising, overwhelming victory that placed Fujimori as president until 2000 – year of his third victory, but in elections considered fraudulent.

Still in 2000, and after increasing accusations of widespread corruption and crimes against humanity within his government, Fujimori fled to Japan. And it was from Japan that he submitted his resignation, by fax. Peru’s congress did not accept his resignation; preferred yours dismissal; he was “permanently morally incapable” of holding the position.

Alberto Fujimori would later be sentenced to 25 years in prison.