Guatemalan election, 2003
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Guatemala
on 9 November 2003, with a second round of the presidential election held on 28 December. Óscar Berger
won the presidential election, representing the Grand National Alliance, a coalition of alliance of the Patriotic Party
, the Reform Movement
and the National Solidarity Party. The Alliance were also victorious in the Congressional elections, winning 47 of the 158 seats. Voter turnout was 57.9% in the Congressional elections, 58.9% in the first round of the presidential elections and 46.8% in the second.
to succeed outgoing president Alfonso Portillo Cabrera. A constitutional ban on former coup leaders (Ríos Montt during 1982-83) led to strong conflict inside the country, including the besiegement of Guatemala for a day: 24 July 2003, known as jueves negro
("Black Thursday"). In the first round of voting, Ríos Montt came third behind the centrist mayor of Guatemala City
, Óscar Berger
, and the more left-wing candidate Álvaro Colom
.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
on 9 November 2003, with a second round of the presidential election held on 28 December. Óscar Berger
Óscar Berger
Óscar José Rafael Berger Perdomo, born on 11 August 1946 in Guatemala City, is a former President of Guatemala.-Early years:Of Belgian descent, Berger was born to an upper class family with large sugar and coffee holdings...
won the presidential election, representing the Grand National Alliance, a coalition of alliance of the Patriotic Party
Patriotic Party (Guatemala)
The Patriotic Party is a right wing political party in Guatemala.It was founded on 24 February 2001 by retired Army General Otto Pérez Molina.-2003 election:...
, the Reform Movement
Reform Movement (Guatemala)
The Reform Movement is a political party in Guatemala. It is led by Jorge Briz Abularach.-2003 election:At the 2003 general election held on 9 November 2003, the party was part of the Grand National Alliance. In the legislative election, the Alliance won 24.3% of the vote, and 47 out of 158 seats...
and the National Solidarity Party. The Alliance were also victorious in the Congressional elections, winning 47 of the 158 seats. Voter turnout was 57.9% in the Congressional elections, 58.9% in the first round of the presidential elections and 46.8% in the second.
Presidential election
The ruling Republican Front of Guatemala (FRG) nominated former military ruler Efraín Ríos MonttEfraín Ríos Montt
José Efraín Ríos Montt is a former de facto President of Guatemala, dictator, army general, and former president of Congress. In the 2003 presidential elections, he unsuccessfully ran as the candidate of the ruling Guatemalan Republican Front .Huehuetenango-born Ríos Montt remains one of the most...
to succeed outgoing president Alfonso Portillo Cabrera. A constitutional ban on former coup leaders (Ríos Montt during 1982-83) led to strong conflict inside the country, including the besiegement of Guatemala for a day: 24 July 2003, known as jueves negro
Jueves negro
Jueves negro refers to a violent series of political demonstrations that created havoc in Guatemala City on 24 July and 25 July 2003....
("Black Thursday"). In the first round of voting, Ríos Montt came third behind the centrist mayor of Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, Óscar Berger
Óscar Berger
Óscar José Rafael Berger Perdomo, born on 11 August 1946 in Guatemala City, is a former President of Guatemala.-Early years:Of Belgian descent, Berger was born to an upper class family with large sugar and coffee holdings...
, and the more left-wing candidate Álvaro Colom
Álvaro Colom
Álvaro Colom Caballeros is the President of Guatemala for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic National Unity of Hope .-Early years:...
.
President
| Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| Óscar Berger Óscar Berger Óscar José Rafael Berger Perdomo, born on 11 August 1946 in Guatemala City, is a former President of Guatemala.-Early years:Of Belgian descent, Berger was born to an upper class family with large sugar and coffee holdings... |
Grand National Alliance | 921,233 | 34.3 | 1,235,303 | 54.1 |
| Álvaro Colom Álvaro Colom Álvaro Colom Caballeros is the President of Guatemala for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic National Unity of Hope .-Early years:... |
National Unity of Hope National Unity of Hope The National Unity of Hope is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 2002 and defines itself as a social-democratic and social-Christian party.... |
707,578 | 26.4 | 1,046,868 | 45.9 |
| Efraín Ríos Montt Efraín Ríos Montt José Efraín Ríos Montt is a former de facto President of Guatemala, dictator, army general, and former president of Congress. In the 2003 presidential elections, he unsuccessfully ran as the candidate of the ruling Guatemalan Republican Front .Huehuetenango-born Ríos Montt remains one of the most... |
Guatemalan Republican Front Guatemalan Republican Front The Guatemalan Republican Front is a right-wing political party in Guatemala.It was created in 1989 by former president and dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, and formally registered in 1990... |
518,328 | 19.3 | ||
| Leonel Eliseo Lopez Rodas | National Advancement Party National Advancement Party The National Advancement Party is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 1989.In the 1990 and 1995 elections its presidential candidate was Álvaro Arzú who won in 1995, becoming Guatemala's 32nd president .... |
224,127 | 8.4 | ||
| Frederich García-Galont Bischof | Unionist Party Unionist Party (Guatemala) The Unionist Party is a conservative political party in Guatemala, who advocates the re-creation of a Central American union.... |
80,943 | 3.0 | ||
| Rodrigo Asturias Rodrigo Asturias Rodrigo Asturias Amado was a Guatemalan guerrilla leader and politician.Asturias was born in Guatemala City, the first-born son of Nobel Prize-winning author Miguel Ángel Asturias. He studied law in Chile and travelled extensively through the Southern Cone... |
Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity The Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity is a Guatemalan political party that started as a guerrilla movement but laid down its arms in 1996 and became a legal political party in 1998 after the peace process after the Guatemalan Civil War.-Formation:Since the CIA-backed... |
69,297 | 2.6 | ||
| Eduardo Suger Eduardo Suger Eduardo Suger Cofiño is a Guatemalan physicist, scholar, and politician. Founder of Universidad Galileo and Instituto Suger Montano. He is participating on the current elections under the CREO party.-External links:*... |
Authentic Integral Development Authentic Integral Development Authentic Integral Development was a political party in Guatemala.At the last legislative elections, held on 9 November 2003, the party won 3.0% of the popular vote and 1 out of 158 seats in Congress.... |
59,774 | 2.2 | ||
| Jacobo Arbenz Villanova Jacobo Arbenz Villanova Jacobo Arbenz Vilanova is a politician in Guatemala. He is the son of former progressive Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, who was overthrown in a CIA sponsored coup d'état in 1954... |
Guatemalan Christian Democracy Guatemalan Christian Democracy The Guatemalan Christian Democracy , founded 24 August 1955, was a political party in Guatemala. It was a moderate reformist party, although also anti-Communist. It first won congressional seats in [Guatemalan parliamentary election, 1955|1955]]. In 1957, it contested presidential elections but... |
42,186 | 1.6 | ||
| José Angel Lee Duarte | Social Participative Democracy Social Participative Democracy The Social Participative Democracy was a political party in Guatemala.At the last legislative elections, held on 9 November 2003, the party won 1.1 % of the popular vote but no seats in Congress... |
37,505 | 1.4 | ||
| Francisco Arredondo | National Union | 11,979 | 0.4 | ||
| Manuel Eduardo Conde Orellana | Social and Political Movement National Change | 10,829 | 0.4 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 253,390 | – | 91,298 | – | |
| Total | 2,937,169 | 100 | 2,373,469 | 100 | |
| Source: Nohlen | |||||
Congress
| Party | PR | District | Total seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| Grand National Alliance | 620,121 | 24.3 | 504,010 | 23.0 | 49 |
| Guatemalan Republican Front Guatemalan Republican Front The Guatemalan Republican Front is a right-wing political party in Guatemala.It was created in 1989 by former president and dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, and formally registered in 1990... |
502,470 | 19.7 | 486,019 | 22.2 | 41 |
| National Unity of Hope National Unity of Hope The National Unity of Hope is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 2002 and defines itself as a social-democratic and social-Christian party.... |
457,308 | 17.9 | 362,859 | 16.5 | 30 |
| National Advancement Party National Advancement Party The National Advancement Party is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 1989.In the 1990 and 1995 elections its presidential candidate was Álvaro Arzú who won in 1995, becoming Guatemala's 32nd president .... |
278,393 | 10.9 | 270,549 | 12.3 | 17 |
| Unionist Party Unionist Party (Guatemala) The Unionist Party is a conservative political party in Guatemala, who advocates the re-creation of a Central American union.... |
157,893 | 6.2 | 133,663 | 6.1 | 7 |
| New Nation Alliance New Nation Alliance The New Nation Alternative was a leftist political party in Guatemala.In the legislative elections of 9 November 2003, the party won 4.9% of the popular vote and 6 out of 158 seats... |
123,853 | 4.9 | 59,891 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity The Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity is a Guatemalan political party that started as a guerrilla movement but laid down its arms in 1996 and became a legal political party in 1998 after the peace process after the Guatemalan Civil War.-Formation:Since the CIA-backed... |
107,276 | 4.2 | 93,980 | 4.3 | 2 |
| Guatemalan Christian Democracy Guatemalan Christian Democracy The Guatemalan Christian Democracy , founded 24 August 1955, was a political party in Guatemala. It was a moderate reformist party, although also anti-Communist. It first won congressional seats in [Guatemalan parliamentary election, 1955|1955]]. In 1957, it contested presidential elections but... |
82,234 | 3.2 | 78,523 | 3.6 | 0 |
| Authentic Integral Development Authentic Integral Development Authentic Integral Development was a political party in Guatemala.At the last legislative elections, held on 9 November 2003, the party won 3.0% of the popular vote and 1 out of 158 seats in Congress.... |
75,295 | 2.9 | 67,456 | 3.1 | 1 |
| Democratic Union Democratic Union (Guatemala) The Democratic Union is a political party in Guatemala.At the legislative elections, 9 November 2003, the party won 2.2% of the popular vote and 2 out of 158 seats... |
55,793 | 2.2 | 55,321 | 2.5 | 2 |
| Social Participative Democracy Social Participative Democracy The Social Participative Democracy was a political party in Guatemala.At the last legislative elections, held on 9 November 2003, the party won 1.1 % of the popular vote but no seats in Congress... |
28,425 | 1.1 | 29,109 | |1.3 | 0 |
| Transparency Transparency (Guatemala) Transparency is a political party in Guatemala.At the last legislative elections, 9 November 2003, the party won 1.1% of the popular vote but no seats.... |
27,740 | 1.1 | 21,421 | 1.0 | 0 |
| Social and Political Movement National Change | 18,005 | 0.7 | 15,265 | 0.5 | 0 |
| National Union | 17,478 | 0.7 | 10,274 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Other parties | – | – | 4,204 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Invalid/blank results | 384,562 | – | 318,828 | – | – |
| Total | 2,936,936 | 100 | 2,511,372 | 100 | 158 |
| Source: Nohlen | |||||