Jimmy Morales, a comedian who has never held elected office, won Guatemala’s presidency on Sunday after voter fury over corruption scandals fuelled months of protests in Central America’s biggest economy.
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Morales and his National Convergence Front (FCN) defeated his rival, former first lady Sandra Torres, whose husband Alvaro Colom had served as president from 2003 to 2011.
A former TV comedian with no experience in government has won the run-off vote in Guatemala’s presidential election.
Torres conceded defeat in a brief televised address, telling Guatemalans that “the people have made their choice and we respect it. We wish Mr. Morales the best of success”.
People mark their ballots during the presidential runoff election at a polling station in Mixco, Guatemala, Sunday, October 25, 2015.
Many saw Morales’ victory as a sign of the growing frustration with traditional politicians in the country.
“If Morales fails to bring a few change in the near future, I think we’ll be seeing protesters on the streets again”, said Nineth Montenegro, a social activist and leader of the small political party Encounter for Guatemala.
The campaign was rocked by president Otto Perez’s resignation and arrest on corruption charges on September 3, three days before the first-round vote.
Voter apathy was at a 15-year high on Sunday as almost 50 percent of the electorate stayed home, likely due to a combination of intense rains, dissatisfaction with the political process and a sense that Torres didn’t stand a chance.
Morales was carried to the presidency on a wave of public anger over political corruption uncovered by the global Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).
One investigation found that Perez and his vice president were at the heart of the customs scam known as La Linea.
With no previous record in politics, Morales ran on a clean government platform under the slogan “not corrupt, not a thief”.
In debates leading up to the election, Morales vowed to improve transparency in government and said he would use all of the auditing powers at his disposal to strengthen government controls.
Election officials and global observers said the vote came off without violence.
“We can trust the results as certain, due to the specialized system of the TSE”, said Pineda.
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But many Guatemalans remain skeptical that either candidate would work to root out entrenched corruption and find honest public servants to form a government.
