Outsider Bernardo Arévalo, a social democrat, emerged as the winner of a run-off election for President of Guatemala.
Progressive anti-corruption campaigner Arévalo, of the Movimiento Semilla (Seed Movement) party, leading former first lady and veteran centre-right politician Sandra Torres 58.3 per cent to 36.9 per cent.
Arévalo, with his plan to fight corruption and the erosion of democracy in Central America’s most populous country, would succeed the conservative incumbent Alejandro Giammattei.
Giammattei, whose tenure is due to term limits and was not allowed contesting again.
Around 9.4 million voters were called upon to choose Giammattei’s successor on Sunday.
According to TSE figures, 4.2 million valid votes were cast.
The election process was overshadowed by attempts by the political elite and the Attorney General’s office to stop 64-year-old Arévalo’s ascent by legal means.
The European Union expressed concern about this.
Several serious candidates had been disqualified from running before the first round of voting.
Arévalo unexpectedly became the second strongest candidate in the first round of elections in June.
The first place went to three-time presidential candidate Torres, who in the previous two elections failed in the run-off vote.
Arévalo, a sociologist and ex-diplomat is the son of the country’s first democratically elected president, Juan José Arévalo (1945-1951).
Torres was the wife of the late Álvaro Colom, who served as the president of Guatemala 2008 to 2012.
The centre-left party UNE, which Torres co-founded, is Guatemala’s largest party.
The former first lady however recently moved to the centre-right.