The top candidates in the Guatemalan presidential elections, former General Otto Perez and businessman Manuel Baldizo, will continue to another round of presidential elections in November. None of the candidates received the required 50 percent majority to obtain the Guatemalan presidency in the September elections.
Polls showed Perez with 36 percent of the vote, Baldizo with 24 percent and Eduardo Suger with 16 percent. The Organization of American States criticized slow vote counting and disorganization in the preliminary election, CNN said Sept. 12.  Problems with voters have also been reported, according to electoral watchdog Mirador Electoral. At least 65 cases of falsified ballots have been discovered during the election process, along with other isolated incidents of vote buying.
Due to the increase in crime and violence in Guatemala, presidential campaigns centered on safety and security issues. Leading candidate Perez promised voters “security now,” while other candidates pledged to fight crime rings and Mexican drug cartels, according to a Times Union article Sept. 12. #