El Salvador: round two?

The chances are high, that El Salvador will need a second round of voting, to determine the country’s next president, according to two polls published this week, a few days before national elections, scheduled for February 2.

Norman Quijano, candidate of the center-right National Republican Alliance, leads with 36%, while Salvador Sanchez of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front is second with 32%, according to a Mitofksy poll.

Former President Antonio Saca, representing the right-wing Unity coalition, is running third at 16%.

Quijano has the support of 29% of decided voters, ahead of Sanchez with 25% , and Saca at 18%, according to a survey published in the Prensa Grafica.

In either case, no candidate is close to the 50% required to be elected president.

Assuming a second round of voting, Quijano would defeat either Sanchez or Saca, according to Mitofsky.

A second round would take place on March 9.