In Guatemala, the results of the June 25 presidential election are to be reviewed again. The Central American state’s constitutional court ordered a review within five days after ten parties filed complaints.
Criticism of this has come from the election observation mission of the Organization of American States (OEA) and the USA. According to the election observers, there were no indications that there were any irregularities in the voting that had a decisive influence on the outcome. To speak of fraud without any basis discredits the will of the people.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken added that the government in Washington agrees with the findings of the election observers. Undermining the election result would be a “serious threat to democracy with far-reaching consequences”. The European Union’s election observation group also called on the Guatemalan authorities to “respect the clear will of the citizens”.
The former first lady, the social democrat Sandra Torres from the centrist party UNE and – unexpectedly – the candidate of the left movement Semilla, Bernardo Arevalo de Leon, qualified for the runoff. Arevalo de Leon called on his country’s authorities to “respect the will of the people”. They will defend democracy.
The Semilla movement emerged in 2015 from resistance to corrupt government, corporate, military and organized crime collaborations. There had been criticism even before the elections because three opposition candidates were excluded from voting, including the indigenous candidate Thelma Cabrera from the left-wing MLP movement.
Constitutional Court on the side of the political right?
Right and right-wing extremists lost significantly in the presidential election. The candidate from the conservative Vamos party of the incumbent head of state, Alejandro Giammattei, also received only a few votes. The elections were overshadowed by allegations against the president. Giammattei is accused of taking repressive action against critical journalists and lawyers. Critics fear that the constitutional court wants to question the result in the interests of the right-wing forces.
According to the constitutional court, the votes cast in individual polling stations should first be compared with the preliminary result. A complete recount is also possible, the court said. According to a court order, the official final result of the elections may not be published until a decision is made.
qu/AR (epd, ap, rtr)
Source: DW
