Former guerilla wins Uruguayan presidency

"There were no winners or losers," Mujica told supporters after the vote, adding that, "It is a mistake to think that power comes from above, when it comes from within the hearts of the masses ... it has taken me a lifetime to learn this."

Mujica's style is said to be direct, unstudied and relaxed. A day after his victory, he met with defeated opponents Lacalle and Pedro Bordaberry, the Colorado Party leader. He invited representation of their parties in his cabinet.

A meeting with leaders of Uruguay's main labor federation PIT-CIT followed. "This was a new form of relationship," observed Secretary-General Juan Castillo. Under discussion were reforms in health care, education, taxes, and labor relations. Federation official Fernando Pereira told reporters that "we communicated with Mujica that from our point of view, the state must be oriented toward development of production, distribution of wealth and social justice," and workers must have a "protagonist role." He expressed hope the new government would "solidify achievements of the Tabaré Vázquez government - the best in the last 50 years."