GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- A former general vowing to crack down on crime in Central America's most violent country and a businessman who promises to alleviate desperate poverty were in a near-tie in Guatemala's presidential vote, according to preliminary votes released Monday.

With 75 percent of voting stations reporting, Alvaro Colom, a businessman and three-time presidential contender of the center-left National Unity of Hope Party, had 28 percent of the vote compared with 25 percent for Otto Perez, a former general from the conservative Patriot Party. Nobel Laureate and Mayan activist Rigoberta Menchu trailed with 3 percent, according to results published on Guatemala's Electoral Tribunal Web site.
A second-round vote between Colom and Perez on Nov. 4 is almost certain, as a candidate has to win a simple majority of the votes to take the election in the first round.
While calm mostly prevailed during the election, minutes before polls closed, about 3,000 people set a voting booth on fire in the town of El Cerinal, about 30 miles southeast of Guatemala City. They then went to the town's other voting center and began burning the ballots. Police dispersed them with tear gas.
The crowd accused El Cerinal's mayor, who is running for re-election, of bringing people from neighboring El Salvador to cast votes in his favor.
Sunday's vote followed a campaign marred by the deaths of about 50 candidates, party activists and their family members. The poll took place under the watch of more than 34,000 police and soldiers.
Analysts say security was the most pressing issue in the election.
Colom worked with civil war refugees in isolated highlands and is an ordained Mayan minister. He proposes increasing social spending to fight poverty and boost employment, and overhauling the judicial system.
""We are strong and we are going to win,"" Colom said after casting his vote.
Perez has responded to allegations that his human rights record from the war era is tarnished by demanding his accusers present proof of any wrongdoing. He promises a ""firm hand"" on crime: hiring more police officers, using the military to fight drug gangs and instituting the death penalty.
Increased security will attract investment, he says — creating badly needed jobs in a country where 51 percent of the population lives on less than $2.
""It was the best kind of campaign and now it's a question of waiting for the results, which we are sure will be favorable,"" Perez said.
Guatemalans were also choosing 158 national legislators and 332 mayors