Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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September 10, 2007

Colom, Perez to Face Off in Guatemalan Presidential Runoff
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=195ADBA:A6F02AD83191E1601D68E7513FF93C149574F7DCC14957C0 With majority of
ballots counted, election officials say center-left businessman Alvaro
Colom is leading with 28 percent of vote, followed by retired General
Otto Perez Molina with about 25 percent





Posters of Guatemala's presidential candidates Otto Perez Molina of
the Patriot party, who is a retired general, below, and Alvaro Colom,
of the Unity of Hope party, in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, 08 Sep
2007The top two candidates in Guatemala's presidential election -- a
businessman and a former general -- are headed for a run-off, as no
candidate won outright in the election Sunday.

With a majority of ballots counted, election officials say center-left
businessman Alvaro Colom is leading with 28 percent of the vote,
followed by retired General Otto Perez Molina with about 25 percent.

The other 12 candidates are trailing far behind. They include Nobel
laureate and Mayan activist Rigoberta Menchu.



The presidential runoff is set for November 4.

Colom, a businessman and head of the National Unity of Hope party, has
pledged to increase social spending to alleviate poverty. Perez of the
Patriotic Party has promised to crack down on crime by hiring more
police and using the military to fight drug gangs.

The election winner succeeds outgoing President Oscar Berger.

Sunday's balloting was peaceful, but violence during the campaign
killed about 50 people. Victims included candidates and party
activists and family members. It was the deadliest political campaign
since the end of Guatemala's 36-year civil war in 1996.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.




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