Fujimori8217;s days are numbered 8212; Oppn leader

Columns from the Andes, Jungle, Pacific coast and Lima moved on the city centre for two days in the March of the Four Suyos8217;, named after the cardinal points of the Inca Empire, to rally in protest when Fujimori is sworn-in on Friday.

The ceremony, at which the only foreign heads of state will be the Presidents of neighbouring Ecuador and Bolivia, coincides with Fujimori8217;s birthday and Peru8217;s Independence Day.

Toledo, the 54-year-old son of Andean peasants-turned-World Bank economist, denounced April8217;s elections as fraudulent. He then boycotted the May run-off and challenged the President from a podium in a vast city-centre square.

Fujimori, a 62-year-old of Japanese descent, still rates 43 per cent support in opinion polls for his success in stabilising the economy and beating the Shining Path and other guerrillas, who took Peru to the brink of civil war in the early 1990s.

But the disputed election divided the nation of 25 million people and increased discontent at a decade of Fujimori rule. Support for the march has grown and Fujimori8217;s support has ebbed.

Among the protesters dancing, cooking and camping in city squares were a hundred from the poor town of Canete, who walked in for a whole day with foam mattresses on their backs.

8220;We want new elections because there was fraud. Once we all belonged to different parties, but now we have united to fight for democracy,8221; said Luis Chavez 30, a labourer from Canete.

Many marchers had gas-masks made of plastic-bottles and vinegar, fearing the same brutal police response seen in the election campaign. Uniformed police kept a low-profile on Thursday but were expected to ring Congress for Friday8217;s ceremony.

8220;Our march is peaceful, but if they are violent, the people will fight back,8221; said German Pena, a frail pensioner of 62.

8220;Tomorrow there will be a clash. We will stop him being swornin; we8217;ll tear up the paving stones,8221; said Carlos 28.

But the atmosphere was festive with Indian women in brimmed hats, full-skirts and bright beads and men in coloured ponchos and pointed caps. Banners showed Toledo as an Inca emperor with a sun on his chest and called Fujimori a 8220;dictator8221;.

On the podium, four Indians, one from each Suyo, blew on conch-shells and a young girl led the crowd swearing an oath 8220;to fight until the dictatorship is overturned8221;.

8220;This is the voice of the people echoing through the Andes with more force than the guns of those who do not love their country,8221; said Toledo. 8220;If they think they can beat the will of Peruvians, these Orientals don8217;t understand our Andean roots.8221;

The Opposition leader, who blends leftist social rhetoric with free-market economic policy, repeated the demands made by the Organisation of American States for the election system and courts to be cleaned up and the gagged media set free.

Toledo also demanded the removal 8220;from any public office8221; of Fujimori8217;s secretive spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos.

Fujimori8217;s democratic credentials have been questioned since his 8220;self-coup8221; of 1992 when he took special powers to combat the Marxist guerrillas who had virtually ringed Lima.

His autocratic style helped him vanquish hyper-inflation and bring in billions of dollars of investment. But wages have stagnated and jobs are scarce, with half the population in poverty. Even fans in the business community are wary since he eversed some tax incentives and privatisations last week.

Acutely aware of the criticisms, Fujimori tried to project an image of consensus by appointing moderate Opposition figure Fernando Salas, mayor of a poor provincial city, as his Prime Minister on Wednesday. But the post has little executive power.

8220;Nobody denies Fujimori has done some very good things, but times change,8221; said Mauricio, a 20-year-old student waving an orange flag. 8220;If he8217;d gone in 1995, he8217;d have been remembered as Peru8217;s best President in history. Now we8217;re tired of him.8221;