Guatemalans reject traditional politicians

Guatemala has elected a comedian as its next president.

Jimmy Morales, who has never held office, swept to power in yesterday's polls as voters tired of conventional politicians. He won a landslide 72 per cent of the vote, defeating former first lady Sandra Torres.

Dissatisfaction with the political class has been exacerbated by a probe into multi-million dollar corruption racket that led to the arrest of former president Otto Perez Molina.

Morales, who is familiar to Guatemalans from a 14-year TV sketch show career alongside his brother Sammy, said he had won a mandate to fight corruption and campaigned under the slogan 'neither corrupt nor a thief'.

However critics suggest he hasn't the experience to tackle such deep problems as gang violence or US-bound emigration.

And some of the policies mooted by the 46-year-old's centre-right National Convergence Front in their brief six-page manifesto have been seen as eccentric, such as pledging to tag teachers with GPS devices to ensure they attend class and giving each Guatemalan child an iPhone.

More troublingly, he has said he supports the death penalty, does not accept abortion or gay marriage, and has suggested reviving an historic claim to the territory of neighbouring Belize.

Morales, was a banana seller in his youth,  and one of his most famous comedy characters was a useless cowboy who becomes president by accident.

He is the latest in a series of comedians to turn political across the globe, including US senator Al Franken, Reykjavík major Jon Gnarr, Italian party leader Beppe Grillo – and hopeful London mayoral candidate Eddie Izzard.

• Joke Candidates: The comedians who turned politicians.

Published: 26 Oct 2015