San Salvador - Mr Francisco Flores, a moderate from El Salvador's ruling rightwing party won Sunday's presidential elections in the first ballot, avoiding a runoff with a former left-wing guerrilla chief, Mr Facundo Guardado, election officials said.
With 94.47 per cent of the vote counted, Mr Flores of the National Republican Alliance, or ARENA, was declared the winner in a field of seven candidates with 51.96 per cent of the votes, the election tribunal reported.