SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) âÄî A leftist television journalist claimed victory in El Salvador’s presidential elections Sunday after a preliminary vote count showed him poised to lead a party of former guerrillas to power for the first time since a bloody civil war ended 17 years ago. Mauricio Funes, a moderate plucked from outside the ranks of the rebel group-turned-political party Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, appears likely to add to a string of leftist victories in Latin America at a time of uncertainty over how President Barack Obama will approach the region. With 90 percent of the vote counted late Sunday, Funes had 51 percent compared to 49 percent for Rodrigo Avila of the ruling conservative Arena party, said Walter Araujo, president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. He did not proclaim a winner and said final results would be announced later this week. Funes nevertheless declared himself president-elect and promised to unite the country after one of the most polarizing campaigns since the 12-year war that killed 75,000 people. “This is the happiest night of my life, and I want it to be the night of El Salvador’s greatest hope,” Funes said. “I want to thank all the people who voted for me and chose that path of hope and change.” There was no concession from Avila. Jubilant, red-clad Funes supporters poured into the streets of San Salvador, whooping, clapping, blowing whistles and waving large party flags. Colorful fireworks shot up into the night sky. Funes, 49, rode a wave of discontent with two decades of Arena party rule that have brought economic growth but done little to redress social inequalities. He promises to crack down on big businesses which he says exploit government complacency to evade taxes. Avila, 44, a former police chief with a boyish grin, has warned that an FMLN victory would send El Salvador down a communist path and threaten the country’s warm relations with the United States. Those ties saw El Salvador keep troops in Iraq longer than any other Latin American country and become a hub of regional cooperation with Washington against drug trafficking. The country’s economy depends on billions of dollars sent home by 2.5 million Salvadorans who live in the U.S. The Obama government has assured Salvadorans it will work with any leader elected âÄî a marked departure from the Bush administration, which in 2004 suggested that an FMLN victory would hurt ties. But U.S ties with some leftist leaders remain tense, including Venezuela’s fiery Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who lashed out last week at the United States for holding back aid over an election dispute. Funes has met with top U.S. officials and hopes to start off relations fresh if he becomes Latin America’s first leftist president since Obama took office. He promises to respect a free trade agreement with the United States and keep El Salvador’s dollar currency. He also has made a point of reaching out to Latin America’s moderate leftist leaders, especially Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. That has not reassured many Salvadorans with bitter memories of the 1980-1992 leftist insurgency. Television broadcasts have been flooded with campaign ads warning that a Funes victory would turn El Salvador into a Venezuelan satellite and emphasizing long-standing ties between the FMLN and Chavez. “We don’t want communists in this country,” said Jose Daniel Avila, a 65-year-old retired pilot of no relation to the candidate. “Look what has happened in Nicaragua and Venezuela. Those are not examples to follow.” Chavez said Sunday his government is not taking sides in the election, adding that Venezuela wants to broaden its relations with whoever wins. Many Salvadorans want change after two decades of Arena rule. Fuel and food prices have soared, while powerful gangs extort businesses and fight for drug-dealing turf, resulting in one of Latin America’s highest homicides rates. “What has Arena brought us in 20 years? They’ve only come to power to steal. Only the oligarchs are going to vote for Arena so they can protect their privileges,” said Humberto Chavez, 73, a retired school teacher, talking over a woman standing next to him, who shook her finger and kept exclaiming, “That’s not true!” ___ Associated Press writer Christopher Toothaker in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.