Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Monday formally recognized Social Democrat Alvaro Colom victory in the nation's presidential election, with all the votes counted.
Colom, a trained civil engineer who is also a Maya priest, won over 1.449 million votes or 52.82 percent of the valid ballots, representing the National Unity of Hope party.
Right-wing former general Otto Perez Molina won 1,294,645 votes or 47.18 percent of the vote, representing the Patriotic Party.
All total 2,895,613 citizens, or 48.34 percent of the population, voted. Some 3.5 percent spoiled their vote and 1.75 percent left their ballots blank.
Some 5.9 million Guatemalans were entitled to vote in the second round of the nation's general election.
Colom, who won on his third attempt, will take over presidency from conservative incumbent Oscar Berger Jan. 14, 2008 and rule until 2012.
Colom said in his first speech as president-elect that he wishes Guatemala to be a model social democratic nation with a Mayan face: strengthening unity, national identity and relations with neighbors. He said that his short-term goals were organized crime and impunity.
He said his first action would be to call together the nation's political forces to a broad national dialogue to seek solutions to the nation's problems, saying that Perez Molina would be welcome to contribute to the political project.
"I will ask him to continue his political work so we can work together for the well-being of all Guatemalans," Colom said.
Source: Xinhua
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