El Salvador Election News: Recount Begins After Both Candidates Claim Victory

El Salvador may not know the results of its election until Thursday. An official recount is underway after the presidential election results were too close to call. According to the BBC, Preliminary resulst suggested that Salvador Sanchez Ceren has a 0.22 percent lead over conservative rival Norman Quijano. Supreme Electoral Tribunal president Euganio Chicas said there were some "discrepancies" and inidcated that Salvadorians may have to wait until Thursday to find out who will be their new president.

"El Salvador will be an example of tranparency. We will give the people the legitimacy it demands from these elections by recounting every single vote," said Mr Chicas. However, in a speech following the official announcement of results on Sunday, Mr. Ceren insisted on his victory and claimed court bias. "The men and women of El Salvador are the ones who decide, and if you don't accept the result, you are violating the will of the people," said Mr Sanchez Ceren.

A former Marxist guerrilla leader, Sanchez Ceren claimed victory Sunday's election, as results indicated him with a very thin majority. Ceren was widely expected to win given opinion polls in the lead-up to the election, however, his rival Mr. Quijano made considerable gains in the days immediately prior. He has suggested foulplay in the vote count: "In our count, we have won the vote. We are asking for the international observers to remain in El Salvador for a few more days," Mr Quijano wrote in his Twitter account.