Ex-Army general expected to become Guyana's new president

GEORGETOWN (AP):

A retired army general is poised to become Guyana's new president after a multi-ethnic opposition coalition defeated a party that has been in power for nearly 25 years.

Preliminary results released yesterday show that 69-year-old David Arthur Granger and his Partnership for National Unity-Alliance for Change Coalition obtained nearly 207,000 votes in Monday's general elections. The governing People's Progressive Party obtained nearly 201,500 votes.

The coalition is expected to have a three or four-seat majority in the 65-member Parliament of the South American country.

President Donald Ramotar's party had asked for a partial recount of ballots. It has been in power since 1992 and was seeking a sixth consecutive term.