San Salvador, El Salvador  - A former leftist guerrilla group that fought for power in El Salvador in a bloody civil war in the 1980s has now taken power in a presidential election marking the first peaceful transition of power between left and right in the Central American nation.

The party's candidate, Mauricio Funes, won Sunday's ballot with over 51 per cent of the votes, according to preliminary official results. The rise of the Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN) put an end to a 20-year rule by right-wing party ARENA.

It was the first political transition between right and left in El Salvador in which not a single shot was fired and was the first time in the country's political history that a left-wing party reached power.

The FMLN fought the military dictatorship for 12 years as a guerrilla group until 1992. At the time, it had a radical ideology that was a mix of Marxism-Leninism, social democracy and liberation theology, a branch within the Roman Catholic Church that seeks to end poverty above all else.

In 1992, the FMLN signed a peace agreement with the right-wing government led by financial sector businessman Alfredo Cristiani. The rebel group put down its weapons and demobilized its men, and it became a political party. In exchange, the military would stop dictating El Salvador's internal politics, and the country was to become a democracy.

In three consecutive elections, the FMLN tried to reach the presidency at the ballot box, but every time was beaten by the right- wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA).

"On this occasion, we are in the presence of the end of one cycle and the beginning of another that can take true democracy to El Salvador," said Roberto Turcios, a historian who is helping Funes draft his education policy.

Funes, 49, a former television journalist without a rebel past of his own, faces a tough challenge: managing a severe internal economic crisis coupled with violence. The economic problems are likely to worsen in the face of the global recession.

Another challenge is set to lie in his relationship with the local business community. Most of its key figures have traditionally had ties with ARENA, and earlier with Salvadoran military dictatorships.

Moreover, Funes will also have to manage his own party. The FMLN has in the past expressed admiration for socialist governments like Cuba's and, more recently, that of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Funes, however, has stressed that he is closer to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva than he is to Chavez or to historic Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Funes has vowed to focus on moderation and on respect for the country's institutions. He says he will respect and promote private initiative, respect religious practices and hold friendly ties with all countries in the world, including the United States, which is home to one third of all Salvadorans.

That could be an important indication as to what the new government may be like in small, but troubled El Salvador. (dpa)