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03/12/2006:

"Peru president gives poll warning"

Peru's president has warned against damaging the country's stability, ahead of presidential elections in April.

"If you are not interested in building economic, political, legal stability then we will not have investment," Alejandro Toledo told the BBC.

His warning came amid polls showing rising support for nationalist former army officer Ollanta Humala.

In January Peru withdrew its ambassador to Venezuela after "interference" by President Hugo Chavez in its election.

Peruvian authorities were outraged when Mr Chavez praised Mr Humala and hit out at the conservative front-runner in the poll, Lourdes Flores, who he said was the candidate of the Peruvian oligarchy.

The diplomatic row erupted when Mr Humala attended a news conference in Caracas with the Venezuelan leader and Bolivia's President-elect Evo Morales.

Mr Chavez praised Mr Humala for "joining the battle" against the Free Trade Area of the Americas backed by Washington and a number of countries in the region.
bbc.co.uk