Conservative woman leads Peru election race

Lima: A conservative former congresswoman holds a considerable lead over a nationalist retired army officer ahead of Peru's presidential election in April, a recent poll shows.

The nationwide survey by the University of Lima showed Lourdes Flores with a 28.1 per cent to 16.8 per cent lead over retired Lieutenant Colonel Ollanta Humala, an ally of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bolivia's new socialist President Evo Morales.

The poll adds to evidence that Flores remains firmly on top after rapid polling gains by Humala that rattled Peru's financial markets.

A survey released on Thursday by the CPI company showed Flores with a 28.8 per cent to 18.2 per cent lead over Humala.