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A Third of Guatemalans Would Back Colom
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Álvaro Colom is the most popular contender in the early stages of Guatemala's presidential race, according to a poll by Borge y Asociados published in El Periódico. 34.6 per cent of respondents would support the leftist National Union of Hope (UNE) member in this year's election.
Otto Pérez Molina of the Patriot Party (PP) is second with 15.6 per cent. Support is lower for Fritz García Gallont of the Unionist Party (PU), Luis Flores Asturias of the National Advancement Party (PAN), former head of state Efraín Ríos Montt of the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú, and Francisco Arredondo of the Grand National Alliance (GANA).
GANA candidate Óscar Berger won the 2003 presidential election in a run-off, defeating Colom with 54.13 per cent of all cast ballots. Berger is constitutionally barred from seeking a new term in office.
On Jan. 4, Alejandro Giammattei—the director of Guatemala's prison system—was announced as GANA's presidential nominee. Giammattei vowed to enact tougher regulations to deal with crime, declaring, "Guatemala is caught in a battle between the good and the bad, and we need to generate leadership to ensure that the good people participate because there are more of us."
The presidential election is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 9. If no candidate garners more than 50 per cent of all cast ballots, a run-off would take place on Nov. 4.
Polling Data
Who would you vote for in the presidential election?
Álvaro Colom (UNE) | 34.6% |
Otto Pérez Molina (PP) | 15.6% |
Fritz García Gallont (PU) | 2.7% |
Luis Flores Asturias (PAN) | 2.5% |
Efraín Ríos Montt (FGR) | 1.8% |
Rigoberta Menchú | 1.4% |
Francisco Arredondo (GANA) | 1.1% |
Dionisio Gutiérrez | 0.8% |
Harold Caballeros | 0.7% |
Nineth Montenegro (EPG) | 0.5% |
Mario Estrada | 0.4% |
Alejandro Giammattei | 0.2% |
Source: Borge y Asociados / El Periódico
Methodology: Interviews to 1,008 Guatemalan adults, conducted from Dec. 26, 2006, to Jan. 7, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.