Ex-Guerrilla Most Likely to Win Uruguayan Vote

Uruguayan José Mujica, a Socialist senator has shown to be the most popular candidate for the Uruguayan Presidential election. Mujica had spent 14 years in prison for waging an urban guerilla war against the former military dictatorship.

Mujica is a candidate of the governing Broad Front coalition, whose tenure has improved economic conditions in Uruguay- (as proven from the former President, Tabaré Vázquez, who was also part of the BFC).

Broad Front was the first leftist movement in Uruguay to break away from its domination of two-parties (the National or the Colorado party) either of which held power for more than 150 years. Under President Vázquez, the Broad Front coalition led Uruguay out of a deep economic crisis earlier in the decade.

Despite polls however, Mujica did not gain enough votes to avoid a November runoff, in what analysts said was a referendum on the current leftist government.

With nearly all of the votes counted, the Broad Front had 47.5 percent of the votes; the National Party trailing with 28.6 percent and the Colorado Party had 16.7 percent, according to Uruguayan officials.

In order to avoid a runoff election, Mujica needed more then 50 percent of the vote in order to gain the presidency. Unfortunately, Mujica fell short, so the run-off election is to be held on Nov. 29.

Photo Source: The New York Times, Ex-Guerrilla Ahead in Uruguay Vote, 2009