Guatemala: police and army defend Supreme Electoral Court

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) reported this Sunday that a strong contingent of national police and army agents They guard their operations center, located in the Parc de la Industria, in the nation’s capital.

This court requested the support of the Ministry of Government after the Constitutional Court ruled suspension of election results last Sunday until a number of issues that various parties are talking about are resolved.

The Election Observation Mission (MOE) of Guatemala called for ensure the integrity of the ballot boxes, due to the implications the amparo would mean for the contested election commissions, as well as the current state of the process and the ballot box chain of custody, according to the Guatemalan newspaper Time.

That is why the mission asked the TSE have the necessary measures to protect the warehouse Industry Park, where ballot boxes with original protocols and ballots are kept.

The former first lady won the presidential election last Sunday Sandra Torres, National Unity of Hope (UNE), followed by an academic Bernardo Arevalo de Leonfrom the Social Democratic group “Semilla”, which unexpectedly slipped into the second round after cleaning up urban areas.

The picture shows Sandra Torres and Bernardo Arevalo, who will fight for the presidency in the second round on August 20. Photo: Reuters

OEA says there is ‘no reason’ to suspect violations

The Organization of American States (OAS) EOM assured this Sunday that “There is no reason to suspect that there were irregularities of this size this may affect the decisions of voters in the presidential race.”

The mission stressed that “some political parties currently attempting to challenge the election results through amparo, were precisely those that had the largest presence of prosecutors at polling stations on 25 June.

“The EOM/OAS reiterates that there was a large presence of prosecutors from political parties at the vote counting commission visited on June 25, which was also verified by other national and international election observers. Overwhelmingly (…) prosecutors from at least four political groups were present throughout the voting,” the letter says.

The total number of contested votes was “relatively low”. consequently, “the political organizations themselves had nothing to object to on election day. In fact, in the presidential elections contested less than 0.01 percent of the votes cast.

Unexpected second place received in the presidential elections on June 25 by the social democratic party “Semilla”, born out of anti-corruption demonstrations in 2015, may be at risk, various sectors warn.

Photo: Reuters

Seed Movement calls for suspension of election results to be lifted

Guatemala’s left-wing seminal movement reported this Sunday that it had asked the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to cancellation of the suspension order elections last Sunday.

Semilla candidate Bernardo Arevalo indicated that he, along with his “number two” Karin Herrera and his legal team, presented three motions before the Constitutional Court to review and annul the election decision. “We will defend the will of the people,” he said, while pointing out that democracy “defends itself” in elections, not in the courts.

Arevalo said that the TSE resolution It was declared “without legal support”. “We are acting as a third party interested in the process, we ask for clarification of the language that seems to us unclear and ambiguous, and we ask for this decision to be annulled because the court does not have jurisdiction under Guatemalan law,” explained.

Photo: EFE

US ‘deeply concerned’ by election meddling

For its part, the United States government condemned this “undermining” the June 25 elections would be a “serious threat” at the same time, he showed his support for the findings of the election observation missions.

“The United States supports the constitutional right of the Guatemalan people to choose their leaders through free and fair elections and deeply concerned for efforts that hinder the outcome of the election,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement.

“Actions to interfere in the election results they violate the spirit of the Guatemalan Constitution and threaten the legitimacy of its democratic process (…) The disruption of the June 25 elections will be a serious threat to democracy with far-reaching consequences,” the Secretary of State said.

Blinken stressed that Washington’s support for the conclusions of “numerous Guatemalan organizations representing the private sector and civil society observation missions, as well as international observation missions, including the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union, who found that the results released during the observed elections in Guatemala were consistent with their observations throughout the country . “.

For its part, the delegation The European Union urged to respect the will of the people under the protection of the Constitution, emphasizing the integrity of the electoral process in accordance with Guatemalan law.

(According to information from Europe Press And EFE)

Source: Aristegui Noticias

Mary
As an experienced journalist and author, Mary has been reporting on the latest news and trends for over 5 years. With a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines, Mary has earned a reputation as a trusted voice in the world of journalism. Her writing style is insightful, engaging and thought-provoking, as she takes a deep dive into the most pressing issues of our time.