SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Runoffs appear likely in elections in El Salvador and Costa Rica as no candidate seemed able to reach the threshold for an outright win, returns indicate.
In El Salvador, Vice President Salvador Sanchez Ceren was ahead of former San Salvador Mayor Norman Quijano 48.95 percent to 38.97 percent with about 75 percent of the votes counted from Sunday's presidential election, the Financial Times reported Monday.
If Sanchez Ceren, a former guerrilla leader from the country's ruling party, fails to capture 50 percent plus one vote needed to clinch victory, a runoff will be held March 9.
In third was former President Antonio Saca, with 11.4 percent of the vote.
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Sanchez Ceren is a member of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front and is considered less moderate than President Mauricio Funes, the Times said. He earned notoriety by leading a march shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States in which U.S. flags were burned, and favors the Venezuelan-led ALBA trade bloc, which could create potential tension with the United States. Sanchez Ceren also has said he favors using the army to combat violent crime.
Costa Rica, which also conducted presidential elections Sunday, appeared to be heading toward a runoff April 6 between leftist Luis Guillermo Solis and ruling party candidate Johnny Araya, the Times said. Guillermo held a 30.59 percent-to-28.83 percent lead over Araya with 69 percent of the vote counted.
While Araya has tried to put distance between himself and President Laura Chinchilla, whose administration has been plagued by scandal and corruption, he faces charges of abuse of authority and embezzlement, the Times said.
