Guatemalan general election, 2011
Encyclopedia
Elections were held on 11 September, 2011 in Guatemala
for the offices of President
and Vice President
; as well as members of Congress
by national list and districts, members to the Central American Parliament
, and the Mayor and council for all the Municipalities
. All positions were elected for a four-year period. Retired General Otto Pérez Molina of the Patriotic Party
won the presidential election in a runoff against populist Manuel Baldizón
of the LIDER party
.
in 2007. Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity
and other leftist groups have joined together in the Frente Amplio and nominated Rigoberta Menchú for president.
Polls show Pérez Molina with a lead over other possible candidates.
Candidates
.
Baldizon campaigned on the premise of having Guatemala's football team to the World Cup. Additionally he also promised to tackle poverty and crime, as well as assure workers an extra month's salary every year. He also said he would reinstate the death penalty and televise executions.
.
, former wife of the current president, got divorced to run for the presidency. There were several requests to have a warrant to forbid Sandra Torres from participating in the election. On 9 August 2011, the Constitutional Court upheld a sentence of the Supreme Court preventing Torres from running.
Executive
Preliminary vote counting suggested that Molina has the highest count of the votes, having 37% support with more than 80% of the votes counted. Therefore, it is highly likely that none of the presidential candidates will obtain an absolute majority of votes in this election (50% + 1 vote), therefore prompting a run-off election (second round) on 6 November 2011.
On 6 November, Molina declared victory in the election saying that: "For all the Guatemalans who have put their trust in me, I thank you very much. To those Guatemalans who did not vote for Otto Perez, I make a call to unite and to work together in the next four years, leaving aside party colours." Turnout for the runoff was half that of the first round in some regions.
Legislative
.
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...
for the offices of President
President of Guatemala
The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839, when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz...
and Vice President
Vice President of Guatemala
Vice President of Guatemala is a political position in Guatemala which is since 1966 elected concurrently with the position of President of Guatemala. Latest Vice President who took over as President was Gustavo Espina in 1993....
; as well as members of Congress
Congress of Guatemala
The Congress of the Republic is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Guatemala.It comprises 158 deputies, who are elected by direct universal suffrage to serve four-year terms . Twenty-nine of these are elected from nationwide lists, with the rest on a district list basis...
by national list and districts, members to the Central American Parliament
Central American Parliament
The Central American Parliament , also known as PARLACEN is a political institution devoted to the integration of the Central American countries. Its headquarters are in Guatemala City....
, and the Mayor and council for all the Municipalities
Municipalities of Guatemala
The departments of Guatemala are divided into 332 municipalities or municipios. The municipalities are listed below, by department:-Alta Verapaz Department:*Cahabón*Chahal*Chisec*Cobán*Fray Bartolomé de las Casas*Lanquín*Panzós*Raxruha...
. All positions were elected for a four-year period. Retired General Otto Pérez Molina 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:...
won the presidential election in a runoff against populist Manuel Baldizón
Manuel Baldizón
Dr. Manuel Antonio Baldizón Méndez is a Guatemalan politician, lawyer, and hotel entrepreneur. He is the leader of the Renewed Democratic Liberty party, and a candidate in the 2011 presidential election.-Early life and education:...
of the LIDER party
Renewed Democratic Liberty
Renewed Democratic Liberty is a centrist political party in Guatemala.It was founded as a parliamentary group by defectors from the then governing National Unity of Hope party of President Álvaro Colom in 2008. It was officially registered as a political party in 2010...
.
Presidential election
The presidential election is being contested by retired General Otto Pérez Molina who lost in the run-off to President Álvaro ColomÁlvaro 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:...
in 2007. 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...
and other leftist groups have joined together in the Frente Amplio and nominated Rigoberta Menchú for president.
Polls show Pérez Molina with a lead over other possible candidates.
Candidates
- Otto Pérez Molina
- Manuel BaldizónManuel BaldizónDr. Manuel Antonio Baldizón Méndez is a Guatemalan politician, lawyer, and hotel entrepreneur. He is the leader of the Renewed Democratic Liberty party, and a candidate in the 2011 presidential election.-Early life and education:...
- Rigoberta MenchúRigoberta MenchúRigoberta Menchú Tum is an indigenous Guatemalan, of the K'iche' ethnic group. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the plight of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War , and to promoting indigenous rights in the country...
- Harold CaballerosHarold CaballerosHarold Caballeros is a Guatemalan lawyer, businessman, politician and is involved in the academia. He has developed an outstanding activity as a scholar and man of faith, who currently serves as Secretary General of the and as Dean of the .His remarkable speaking ability has led him to discourse...
- Eduardo SugerEduardo SugerEduardo 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:*...
- Juan Guillermo Gutiérrez
- Mario Estrada
- Patricia de Arzú
- Adela de Torrebiarte
- Alejandro Giammattei
Opinion polls
A poll for the second round showed Pérez Molina with 49.4% to Baldizón's 39.2%; 11% were undecided. A second poll gave Pérez Molina 39.7% to Baldizón's 32.2%, with 28% undecided. A third poll gave Pérez Molina the lead with 45.7% to Baldizón's 37.2% and 17.1% undecided. A final poll had Pérez Molina ahead with 54.6%, Baldizón at 38.7% and undecided at 5.7%.Congress
On 11 September, the parliamentary election took place. Of 158 congressmen to be elected, 126 congressmen sought re-election but only 56 were re-elected and 102 new congressmen were elected for the first time since democratic election took root in Guatemala. About 65% of MPs were first time representatives, which was the first time this occurred since the 1995 electionGuatemalan general election, 1995
General elections were held in Guatemala on 12 November 1995, with a second round of the presidentail elections held on 7 January 1996. Álvaro Arzú of the National Advancement Party won the presidential election, whilst his party also won the Congressional elections...
.
Campaign
Guatemala's high crime rate was a major issue in the campaign as it sits near the Mexican border that is a conduit for drug traffiking.Baldizon campaigned on the premise of having Guatemala's football team to the World Cup. Additionally he also promised to tackle poverty and crime, as well as assure workers an extra month's salary every year. He also said he would reinstate the death penalty and televise executions.
Observers
Amongst the oberservers for the election were Oscar Almengor, who led a team University of San CarlosUniversity of San Carlos
The University of San Carlos is a Roman Catholic university governed by the Society of the Divine Word since 1935 in Cebu City. It offers pre-elementary and basic education as well as undergraduate and graduate courses, and a broad spectrum of academic programs through its eight colleges.It...
.
Controversies
According to Article 186(c) of the Constitution, the relatives of the President cannot participate in the Presidential election when the relative holds the Presidency. Sandra TorresSandra Torres (politician)
Sandra Julieta Torres Casanova is the former First Lady of Guatemala. Along with her ex-husband, President Alvaro Colom Caballeros, she is of Guatemalan nationality, originally from the county of Melchor de Mencos, in the department of Petén...
, former wife of the current president, got divorced to run for the presidency. There were several requests to have a warrant to forbid Sandra Torres from participating in the election. On 9 August 2011, the Constitutional Court upheld a sentence of the Supreme Court preventing Torres from running.
Result
Former Foreign Minister Edgar Gutierrez said that "the polling methods are inadequate. They've failed to capture how between 25 and 30 per cent of the people intend to vote."Executive
Preliminary vote counting suggested that Molina has the highest count of the votes, having 37% support with more than 80% of the votes counted. Therefore, it is highly likely that none of the presidential candidates will obtain an absolute majority of votes in this election (50% + 1 vote), therefore prompting a run-off election (second round) on 6 November 2011.
On 6 November, Molina declared victory in the election saying that: "For all the Guatemalans who have put their trust in me, I thank you very much. To those Guatemalans who did not vote for Otto Perez, I make a call to unite and to work together in the next four years, leaving aside party colours." Turnout for the runoff was half that of the first round in some regions.
Legislative
Analysis
Molina would be the first former military officer to be democratically elected, which was helped by Guatemala's young population that do not remember the events of the Guatemalan civil warGuatemalan Civil War
The Guatemalan Civil War ran from 1960-1996. The thirty-six-year civil war began as a grassroots, popular response to the rightist and military usurpation of civil government , and the President's disrespect for the human and civil rights of the majority of the population...
.