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    November 06, 2011

Guatemalans Vote in Presidential Runoff

   VOA News
   A private security guard stands in front of campaign signs of Otto
   Perez Molina, presidential candidate of the Patriotic Party, center,
   and Manuel Baldizon, presidential candidate of the Democratic Freedom
   Revival party in Guatemala City, November 5, 2011
   Photo: AP
   A private security guard stands in front of campaign signs of Otto
   Perez Molina, presidential candidate of the Patriotic Party, center,
   and Manuel Baldizon, presidential candidate of the Democratic Freedom
   Revival party in Guatemala City, November 5, 2011.

   Guatemalans choose a new president in Sunday's runoff election.
   The latest public opinion polls have former general Otto Perez Molina
   leading businessman Manuel Baldizon by a sizeable margin in a race to
   succeed President Alvaro Colom.
   Perez, of the right-wing Patriotic Party, got more votes than Baldizon
   of the Democratic Freedom Rival Party in the September election, but
   not the required majority to avoid a runoff.
   Both candidates have campaigned to crack down on crime, especially that
   fueled by drug cartels and gangs.
   Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Experts say
   less than half of the killings are blamed on drug gangs.
   Corruption in government and poverty among half of Quatemala's 14
   million people are other challenges facing the winner of Sunday's
   election.
   The new president is set to take office in mid-January.

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

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