Comedian leads in Guatemala presidential poll
Early results from the presidential election in the Central American country of Guatemala have put actor and comedian Jimmy Morales ahead of center-right businessman Manuel Baldizon by four percentage points.
According to the figures released on Monday, Morales has so far gained 25 percent of the ballots against Baldizon’s 21 percent following voting on Sunday, which came only days after the resignation and detention of the country’s former President Otto Perez Molina over corruption charges.
Prosecutors have charged Perez Molina of masterminding a scheme in which businessmen paid bribes to avert customs fees. He has, however, denied involvement in the scam.
The elections, which would also elect a new congress, were held despite calls by many Guatemalans to delay the voting in the wake of the presidential corruption scandal, according to a BBC report.
According to the report, there were calls prior to the polls for Guatemalans to put on black outfits during the voting process as a sign of mourning, amid growing skepticism that the polls would bring about meaningful political change.
“I cast a blank vote in protest as the candidates are all bad, they’re all the same as those who robbed from us,” said 34-year-old Josefa Hernandez from Guatemala City as cited in a Reuters report.
“If nobody votes for them, maybe they’ll realize we’re fed up,” she said.
If neither candidate wins 50 percent of the vote, as expected, the second round of the election will be held on October 25.
Meanwhile, election officials reported that 50 percent of the nearly 7.5 million eligible voters had cast their ballots five hours after the polls opened.
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