Prior to the runoff election for the presidency in Guatemala, the two candidates advertise in order to fight against corruption in the country. That you will keep your election promises, is unlikely.
Headlines the day after the first round of elections in Guatemala
If the Guatemaltek and Guatemalans on Sunday, a new head of government will meet in the runoff election, two political veterans in the country. The right-wing conservative Alejandro Giammattei (Vamos) is applying after three unsuccessful candidacies for the fourth Time to the highest office of state. For Sandra Torres, of the formally social democratic party, UNE, former First Lady and Ex-wife of President Álvaro Colom (2008 to 2012), it is already the third start-up.
Who will win the election like The future President or a future President – is facing huge challenges. Because the current head of the government, Jimmy Morales, started four years ago as a fighter against corruption, the country is in a desolate state: the mandate of the International Commission to combat corruption and impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) he has not extended, the decisions of independent courts repeatedly ignored and recently a contract with the US government signed the Guatemala to make it to a safe third country.
The agreement could provide each year for the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Central American migrants who could send back to the USA now to Guatemala. Critics fear that the Guatemalan state would be overwhelmed with the care of the Refugees hopelessly.
Accusations of corruption against both candidates
Although the fight will present themselves in the election, both presidential candidates is as a fighter against corruption in the country – whether they will implement their promises after the election, however, extremely doubtful, especially as both Torres as well as Giammattei even have to fight with corruption accusations.
Candidate Torres: With 25 percent of first place in the ballot
Against Torres, the Guatemalan public Prosecutor and the CICIG have identified due to illegal election campaign financing, Giammattei is said to have Connections to the drug mafia. That he should have been involved in 2006 as the Director of the Guatemalan prison system in the killing of several prisoners, played in the election campaign, not a role.
Both candidates benefit from the fact that promising candidates for the presidency, was not such as allowed the popular former attorney General and Anti-corruption campaigner Thelma Aldana, following a highly controversial decision of the constitutional court for formal reasons for the choice. At the same time, the Guatemalan public Prosecutor’s office has delayed the corruption case against Sandra Torres such a long time, until it enjoyed as a presidential candidate immunity. “You can interpret this in a way that there are people in the judiciary, in the service of Sandra Torres,” says Edie Cux, Director of the non-governmental anti-corruption organization “Acción Ciudadana”.
Runner-up Giammattei: Connections to the drug mafia?
Even if Torres has won the first round of the elections with around 25 percent of the votes cast, significantly, the runner-up Giammattei only came to just under 14 percent of the vote, the outcome of the election, is still open. Torres, and Colom was as a former First Lady for the extensive social programs the government is responsible, enjoys, especially in the impoverished country’s population has a high Reputation.
Of the urban middle class and Elite, you will not be rejected, however, mainly because the image of an assertive, partially authoritarian, active politician and as a potential first woman as head of government of the country in the self – understanding of many Guatemalans. “The outcome of the election will depend, therefore, mainly by the level of turnout in the city and in the country,” said Manfredo Marroquín, Ex-presidential candidate of a small party of the “Encuentro por Guatemala”.
Uncertainty Morales
President Morales: contempt of court
Torres could count on a possible election victory to the support of a large faction in the Parliament, as well as numerous mayors throughout the country, Giammattei is lacking this restraint. That will change after the elections, fundamentally, doesn’t believe Ex-candidate Marroquín, however: “The crisis is going to go with two candidates, after the withdrawal of the CICIG, there will be more corruption and impunity”.
Directly after the election, however, all eyes will be directed once again to the current President, Jimmy Morales. “After the election, he will be as head of government politically weakened. This makes him especially dangerous, because then he could make authoritarian decisions which threaten the rule of law and the democratic structure in Guatemala,” says Edie Cux of the non-governmental organization “Acción Ciudadana”. In the past, has set Morales on many occasions about the decisions of Guatemalan courts and to the constitutional crises provoked.