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Colom is Early Frontrunner in Guatemala
- Many Guatemalan adults would vote for Álvaro Colom in next year's presidential election, according to a poll by CID-Gallup. 32 per cent of respondents would support the leftist National Union of Hope (UNE) member.
Otto Pérez Molina of the Patriot Party (PP) is a distant second with eight per cent, followed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú with seven per cent, Luis Flores Asturias of the National Advancement Party (PAN) with six per cent, and former head of state Efraín Ríos Montt of the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG) with five per cent.
Óscar Berger won the December 2003 presidential election as the candidate for the conservative Grand National Alliance (GANA), winning a run-off over Colom with 54.13 per cent of all cast ballots.
Last month, Colom announced the creation of a "transparency commission" that will review and authorize every UNE candidate, adding, "I think every party faces the risk of having undesirable people running for public office, especially at the regional level."
Rios Montt seized power in 1982—toppling the government of Fernando Lucas García—and was ousted himself in 1983. The former army general was the FRG presidential candidate in the 2003 election, but finished third with 19.31 per cent of the vote.
The next presidential election is scheduled for November 2007. Berger is constitutionally barred from seeking a new term in office.
Polling Data
Who would you vote for if the presidential election took place today?
Jul. 2006 | Apr. 2006 | |
Álvaro Colom (UNE) | 32% | 35% |
Otto Pérez Molina (PP) | 8% | 4% |
Rigoberta Menchú | 7% | 8% |
Luis Flores Asturias (PAN) | 6% | 7% |
Efraín Ríos Montt (FGR) | 5% | 7% |
Source: CID-Gallup
Methodology: Interviews to 1,072 Guatemalan adults, conducted from Jul. 13 to Jul. 20, 2006. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.