MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Torres and Arévalo to clash in Guatemalan runoff

It will not be the first time Torres reached the runoff

Former First Lady Sandra Torres will take on Congressman Bernardo Arévalo in the Aug. 20 presential runoff in Guatemala following Sunday's elections, according to preliminary data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

Torres' National Union of Hope (UNE) party got 15.7% of the votes to finish first, followed by Arévalo's 11.8%, which left behind candidates Edmond Mulet (Cabal) and Zury Ríos (Valor-Unionist coalition), who were forecasted by most polls to advance to the deciding round.

TSE Chief Justice Irma Palencia said in a press conference Monday that some tally sheets were still to be processed, and which had not been delivered to the Tribunal due to different situations, such as the loss of some of them.

“Those are the contingencies that we still have to complete, but they do not exceed 3 percent, therefore the results that you are seeing on the screen and that you can consult from any computer or from your telephone, with the global data that we gave you, are practically invariable, they will vary in an amount that is not significant,” Palencia stressed.

Besides, counting is still to be finished to reach the official results regarding the election of 160 Members of Congress, 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament, and 340 mayors.

The TSE also explained that elections in San José del Golfo, some 28 kilometers northeast of Guatemala City, will need to be repeated due to riots preventing voting from taking place.

There was a turnout Sunday slightly below 60%, it was also reported.

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