No clear favorite as Guatemala votes for new president FMTNews FMTWorld
GUATEMALA CITY: Guatemalans headed to the polls on Sunday in a hotly contested presidential election dominated by concerns over corruption, the exclusion of a leading candidate and the cost of living, with the vote set to result in a second round run-off in August.
Young voters headed to the polls for the first time, including a 19-year-old student, Maximo Santacruz, who says he relied on social media to decide who to vote for. “What we Guatemalans hope is that everything they have promised is fulfilled … We want them to deliver and not only with the urban area but also in the interior,” he said as he cast his vote.
In addition to electing the president and vice-president, 9.3 million eligible voters also choose a new Congress, hundreds of mayors and 20 members of the Central American Parliament. “ four years won’t allow time to undo how poorly managed the government has been for so many years,” said Andres Nolasco, a 25-year-old accountant from Guatemala City. “But it is possible to start taking a different path.”