Nayib Bukele declares victory as new Salvadoran president

ELSALVADOR-ELECTION/

Former San Salvador mayor, Nayib Bukele declared victory as the President of El Salvador. The 37-year old beat candidates of the two traditional parties that dominated politics for decades.

"At this moment we can announce with total certainty that we have won the presidency," the 37-year-old Bukele told supporters. The country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal awarded Bukele 52.93 per cent of the vote minutes before his declaration, with 70 per cent of the votes counted.

Carlos Calleja of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), and Hugo Martinez of the leftist Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN) were his main opponents in the elections. Both leaders have recognized Bukele's win.

The result upends the nearly 30-year grip that their parties — the country's largest —have had on Salvadoran politics. Martinez got 14.23 per cent of the votes while Calleja got 32.08 per cent.

"We recognize the results of these elections. We are going to call the president-elect to wish him luck in facing the challenges in this country," said Calleja.

Bukele'ss main task will be to implement new programs to confront insecurity. He has also promised to increase investment in education and fight corruption. And for this he will have form alliance with the right, which dominates congress.