Guatemalan comedian favored to win presidency

25 October 2015 08:31 am

A former TV comedian with no experience in government is poised to win Guatemala's presidential election on Sunday after a corruption scandal toppled the country's last leader and fueled voter outrage with the political establishment.

Playing up his outsider status and promising clean government, 46-year-old Jimmy Morales has surged in polls since a probe into a multi-million dollar customs racket led to the resignation and arrest of President Otto Perez.

Voter surveys show Morales is primed to easily beat former first lady Sandra Torres, who also vows to tackle corruption but is seen by many voters as part of the old political order.

"If I have to pick, it will be Jimmy Morales," said Nelson Lemus, a 37-year-old driving instructor, offering rather faint praise for the self-proclaimed centrist. "At least we don't have anything that speaks against him yet." (REUTERS)