Guatemalan comic leads in presidential polls

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – Guatemalan comic Jimmy Morales should triumph easily in a second round run-off on Sunday to elect the country's next president after the arrest of the previous leader in a massive corruption scandal, a poll showed on Wednesday.

Morales, a political outsider given little hope of winning until graft probes engulfed the government of ex-president Otto Perez, is forecast to win by more than 30 points over his opponent, according to a voter survey by polling firm Prodatos.

The poll gave Morales, a self-proclaimed centrist with conservative leanings, 58.5 percent support, ahead of ex-first lady Sandra Torres, a center-left candidate, on 27.6 percent. The remainder expressed no preference for either.

Perez resigned last month just days ahead of a first round of voting after Congress stripped him of his presidential immunity and Guatemala's attorney general accused him of involvement in a multi-million dollar customs fraud.

By then, various investigations by a UN backed anti-corruption body working with the attorney general had gutted the retired general's cabinet and brought about the arrest of Perez's former vicepresident over the customs racket.

Both Perez and Roxana Baldetti, his exvice president, are now in custody awaiting trial over the customs scam.

COMIC LEADS – Presidential candidate Jimmy Morales waves to supporters as he arrives at a campaign rally Oct. 17. Voters will head to the polls Oct. 25 to choose a new leader in the presidential run-off. (AP)