News: Pérez Molina Closer to Colom

With only three weeks until the elections, the outcome of the Guatemalan presidential race is looking less and less like a "sure thing". Álvaro Colom, who just a short while ago spoke of hoping to win the election in the first round, is facing a growing threat from the #2 man, General Otto Pérez Molina. A very tight run-off in November seems to be in the cards for Guatemala.

Pérez Molina Closer to Colom in Guatemala

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Two candidates appear headed for the second round in Guatemala’s presidential race, according to a poll by Demoscopía published in Siglo XXI. 41.1 per cent of respondents would vote for Álvaro Colom of the left-leaning National Union of Hope (UNE) in this year’s ballot, down 2.5 points since July.

Otto Pérez Molina of the right-wing Patriot Party (PP) is second with 30 per cent—up 6.2 points in a month—followed by Alejandro Giammattei of the Grand National Alliance (GANA) with 9.5 per cent, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú of Encounter for Guatemala (EPG) with five per cent, Luis Rabbé of the Republican Guatemalan Front (FRG) with 4.8 per cent, and Eduardo Suger of Centre for Social Action (CAS) with 4.3 per cent.

The presidential election is scheduled for Sept. 9. If no candidate garners more than 50 per cent of all cast ballots, a run-off would take place on Nov. 4. In a prospective second round scenario, Colom is first with 41.4 per cent, followed by Pérez Molina with 39.3 per cent.

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Tags: Guatemala, elections, President, Colom, Otto Pérez