Rivals claim victory in Salvadorean presidential elections (exit polls)

[AP]

Both of the main candidates for the presidential elections in El Salvador have claimed victory. Each bases his claim on exit polls. The official result is not yet known.

Independent opinion polls had predicted a neck-and-neck race between Elías Antonio Saca of the ruling ARENA party and the former guerilla leader Schafik Handal of the left-wing FMLN. If neither wins 50 percent of the vote, a second round of voting will take place on May 2. The turnout was 50 to 55 percent, a record for El Salvador.

The presidential elections in El Salvador are being followed with great interested in Bethlehem in the West Bank. The parents of both Mr Saca and Mr Handal originate from that Palestinian city.

http://www.rnw.nl/news/news.html#3946777

[arcos]

1. official results are now in...

"With about 48 percent of ballots counted, Tony Saca of the Nationalist Republican Alliance, or ARENA, had 59.8 percent of the vote, easily enough to avoid a May 2 runoff. "

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x436754

[mobuto]

2. Uh

The presidential elections in El Salvador are being followed with great interested in Bethlehem in the West Bank. The parents of both Mr Saca and Mr Handal originate from that Palestinian city.


That's just a little bit strange. The Prime Minister of Belize is also from the West Bank, IIRC.