GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has assured the nation that he will ensure a smooth transition of power to whoever is elected in the final round of the presidential election on Sunday. This comes amidst concerns of election interference after an attempt was made to disqualify the front-runner’s party before the runoff vote.
Giammattei addressed the nation, stating, “I reiterate the commitment to promote an orderly, transparent, and efficient transition process.” In the polls leading up to the runoff election, Bernardo Arevalo, a reformist candidate with an anti-corruption agenda, is leading former first lady Sandra Torres by a significant margin.
Arevalo’s unexpected second-place finish in the first round of voting in June led to calls for recounts by his opponents. Subsequently, a prosecutor managed to get Arevalo’s party suspended, temporarily derailing his campaign. However, Guatemala’s top court later overturned the ban.
In an interview with online news site El Faro, published on Monday, Arevalo expressed his anticipation of efforts to dispute his potential victory “from different sectors.” He stated, “I have no doubt that between Aug. 20 and (inauguration day) Jan. 14, if we win the election, there will be a good number of attempts to prevent it from happening.”
Giammattei, a conservative, gave his assurances that he will not extend his term beyond Jan. 14, the day scheduled for the handover of power to the incoming elected government.
In a meeting with the Organization of American States chief Luis Almagro earlier this month, Giammattei expressed his commitment to ensuring peaceful elections. He shared his dedication on social media platform X, stating, “Earlier this month, Giammattei met with the Organization of American States chief Luis Almagro and expressed his commitment to ensuring peaceful elections, he said at the time in a post on social media platform X.”
As the final round of the Guatemalan presidential election approaches, the nation looks forward to a fair and transparent electoral process.
Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Brendan O’Boyle and Sonali Paul
Credit: The Star : News Feed
