PERU CANDIDATES SWAP BARBS DURING DEBATE

LIMA, Peru -- In the only scheduled debate before Peru's presidential
runoff next month, front-runner Alejandro Toledo focused on former
President Alan Garcia's disastrous term in office and Garcia accused Toledo
of using cocaine.

The televised exchange Saturday night offered Peruvians a chance to see how
Toledo, widely viewed as erratic and prone to contradict himself, measured
up against Garcia, who is considered one of Latin America's great orators
but whose 1985-90 term ended with the country in economic ruin.

Polls show deep dissatisfaction with both candidates: More than 30 percent
of the country's nearly 15 million voters say they plan to cast spoiled or
blank ballots as a protest in the June 3 runoff.

Polls indicate Toledo, 55, will win about 60 percent of the vote. He got
the most votes in the April 8 election, but fell short of the 50 percent
mark, forcing the runoff with second-place candidate Garcia, 51.

Public opinion analyst Giovana Penaflor called the debate "practically a
tie" and said it was unlikely to have a dramatic effect on the outcome of
the vote.

The debate started with both candidates sticking to the central issue on
the minds of Peruvians -- a turnaround for the country's moribund economy
- -- but soon heated up into an exchange of personal attacks.

Toledo said Garcia is remembered for leaving office amid rampant
corruption, surging rebel violence, food shortages and hyperinflation.

Garcia returned to Peru in January after charges that he collected
kickbacks totaling several million dollars expired following nearly nine
years in exile.

"Mr. Garcia, it is inconceivable that you speak of human rights, the
struggle against corruption, against narcotics trafficking, when you have
unresolved charges," Toledo said. "Money was robbed."

Garcia fired back, repeating allegations that Toledo tested positive for
cocaine use after an extramarital hotel rendezvous with three women in 1998.

"Nobody has shown me to be a consumer of cocaine," Garcia said. "A cocaine
consumer cannot be the leader of a country."

Toledo has said he was drugged and kidnapped by agents of former President
Alberto Fujimori and possibly filmed in a sexually compromising situation.