Ruling-party candidate Salvador Sanchez Ceren led the first round of voting in El Salvador’s presidential election on Sunday, but missed an outright victory by a small margin.
With more than three-fourths of the ballots counted, the current Vice-President and former guerrilla commander got 49 per cent of the vote, according to electoral authorities.
Mr. Sanchez Ceren, of the social-democratic Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, would face off with Norman Quijano, of the right-wing party Nationalist Republican Aliance (ARENA), who got 39 per cent of the votes.
ARENA dissident Antonio Saca, of the coalition Unidad, received a little over 11 per cent of the vote.
Mr. Saca conceded defeat, although he did not immediately endorse a candidate for the second round. The former president (2004-09) could play a role in the swinging the vote in March 9 run-off.
The election was peaceful, and international observers reported no violence.
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