Vazquez re-elected Uruguay president, seeks support of all

Montevideo, Dec 1 (IANS/EFE) Tabare Vazquez, who has won the second round of the presidential election in Uruguay and will be taking office March 1, 2015, has promised not to disappoint the people while asking them for their support in governing the country.

In Sunday's contest, the candidate of the ruling Left-wing Broad Front, who was the favourite to win according to all the polls, scored a resounding victory over Luis Lacalle Pou of the National Party, winning 53 percent of the votes against 41 for Lacalle Pou.

With 81.7 percent of the votes counted, Vazquez led with 970,710 votes while his opponent garnered 782,498.

It will be the party's third consecutive term in government and also the largest margin of victory in a run-off.

Speaking in Montevideo Sunday, Vazquez, 74, who was president from 2005 to 2010, told supporters, "We are going to govern with all of you, we don't want you to follow us, we want you to guide us. Don't leave us alone."

The newly-elected president promised those present he would make "every possible effort" not to let them down and "to work each day" so that "the Uruguayans live better and better".

"We are going to fulfill the Broad Front's agenda to the last point. Within the constitution and the law, everything; outside of it, nothing," he added.

Raul Sendic, Vazquez's running mate and soon to be the vice-president as well as president of the country's General Assembly comprising senators and legislators, said that education and infrastructure were the two "huge challenges" for the new administration.

Meanwhile, outgoing president Jose Mujica, whose management had the approval of 65 percent of the citizens according to a poll last week, said he would now have the task of being the coordinator within the ruling coalition that comprises Socialists, Communists, Marxists, Leninists, the former leftist Tupamaros guerrillas and independents.

Lacalle Pou, set to lead the main opposition party, acknowledged Vazquez's victory and said that he had wished him success for his term.

--IANS/EFE

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