The World Briefly

July 06, 2023

Major Doubts

Guatemala

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Guatemala’s presidential election took an unexpected turn this week when the Constitutional Court suspended the certification of the results, a move that raised concerns about the stability of the Central American country’s fragile democracy, Al Jazeera reported Wednesday.

Results of Saturday’s elections showed that the progressive Seed Movement party’s candidate, Bernardo Arevalo, was one of the front-runners in the first round with 11.8 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, his conservative rival Sandra Torres of the National Unity of Hope party received 15.8 percent.

But the top court issued the ruling following complaints from 10 political parties, including the UNE, alleging inconsistencies and irregularities in the vote count.

Constitutional lawyers rejected the claims, but the court ruled to suspend the certification and review the vote tallies, which also included congressional and municipal races.

The verdict quickly sparked a backlash in Guatemala and abroad over concerns of potential interference in the election results.

The United States and the Organization of American States have expressed support for the election results and urged the Constitutional Court to respect democratic norms.

Guatemalan officials responded to those concerns by calling on foreign governments to respect the country’s sovereignty.

Analysts said the review will not change the presidential contest’s outcome but it could impact lower-level contests with narrower victory margins.

Even so, questions also remain about the fate of the second round of the presidential election, scheduled for Aug. 20, pending the court’s review.

The Seed Movement has faced criticism beyond the vote count, with opponents labeling them as socialist or communist and accusing them of threatening private property ownership and religious freedom.

Arevalo has denied these accusations.

This story originally appeared in the July 06, 2023 newsletter, Humbled but Unbowed.