Guatemala voted on Sunday without any of the bloodshed that marked the electoral campaign, and appeared headed to a run-off presidential vote between a social democrat who vowed to tackle poverty and an ex-general who wants to get tough on thugs.
While authorities said there were some isolated incidents, electoral observers hailed what they said was generally calm balloting.
An exit poll showed social-democrat Alvaro Colom leading the presidential election but falling short of the 50 percent he would need to win outright and avert a Nov. 4 face-off against second-placed Otto Perez Molina.
PHOTO: AP
Colom had just over 36 percent of the vote and a lead of almost seven points over his rival, according to the nationwide poll conducted by El Periodico daily.
Trailing far behind, in sixth position was Rigoberta Menchu, who won the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize for her indigenous rights activism. Like the majority of Guatemala's 13 million population, Menchu is a Mayan Indian.
Violence was a key issue in the election in a country where 6,000 murders were reported last year.
Perez Molina's pledged to take a tough line against street gangs, drug dealers and other common criminals.
Colom, for his part, has said he would clean up the notoriously corrupt police force and the justice system, which many consider slow and ineffective.
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