Guatemala City, Guatemala – Guatemalans will head to the polls on August 20 to vote in the run-off election for the country’s next president, the culmination of a closely watched and scandal-ridden race.
Voters are set to choose between Congressman Bernardo Arevalo of the progressive Seed Movement and Sandra Torres, a former first lady representing the conservative National Unity of Hope (UNE) party.
The weeks leading up to the run-off have been contentious though, spurring worries about the democratic process in Guatemala.
Arevalo surpassed expectations when he emerged as one of two victors in the initial round of voting on June 25. But the results triggered a backlash among the political establishment.
Rival political parties called for a review of the votes, and when that process upheld the results, the public prosecutor’s office sought to suspend Arevalo’s party, on the basis that the signatures used to form the Seed Movement were fraudulent.
The party’s suspension was ultimately overturned, as Guatemala’s Constitutional Court ruled it violated electoral law.
Article from www.aljazeera.com