Guatemala Elections: Polls Close as Guatemalans Decide on New President

After what has been a tumultuous and contentious election cycle in Guatemala, the country has now finished trying to decide on a new president as polling centers have now closed in the Central American country.

The Guatemala presidential election has no clear winner yet, as counting is still ongoing. However, it is expected to be narrow and may require a runoff. In addition, the election also decides on hundreds of congressional and local races.

According to the Associated Press, none of the 22 presidential candidates have reached the required 50% threshold for winning the election and skipping the runoff, which is scheduled to happen on August 20. It would pit the top 2 candidates against each other, though that has not yet been decided as of writing.

Despite several big-name candidates being disqualified and disappointing many Guatemalans, the elections were seen to have been orderly and peaceful throughout much of the country. However, there were still some isolated reports that voting was interrupted in certain localities.

Voting was canceled in San Jose del Golfo by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal because of some disturbances. In some areas in Guatemala's capital, there were multiple incidents of firebombs being thrown near voting centers, while there was also a small SUV being burned by one of these firebombs as the elections were ongoing.

Who Are Likely To Be Part of the Guatemala Election Runoff for President?

While the results are still not decided yet, it is likely that the two candidates who were polling the highest coming into the election will be the ones who will face each other in the presidential runoff election in August.

According to Al Jazeera News, one of them is the National Unity of Hope (UNE) Party's Sandra Torres, a businesswoman who was once Guatemala's first lady. She is currently leading in the polls and is allied with the current legislature's governing Vamos Party. She was previously imprisoned because of corruption.

The other likely runoff candidate might be the centrist Cabal Party's Edmond Mulet, a 72-year-old career diplomat. He has reportedly spoken out against corruption and the persecution of journalists. He also promised to bolster the economy and invest in healthcare, education, and security.

Leading Presidential Candidates Were Disqualified Before Guatemala Election

NPR pointed out that while Torres and Mulet might face each other in the runoff, they might not have been the first choice of many as Guatemala's next president. This is because many candidates, particularly popular opposition candidates, were disqualified.

One of those disqualified included populist candidate Carlos Pineda, whom the court found not eligible to run due to a technicality. It was found that his party did not follow proper procedures to nominate him for the presidency. He was previously the frontrunner before he was disqualified.

The same can be said for leading Indigenous candidate, Thelma Cabrera, who was expected to be a major contender in the Guatemala Presidential Election but was disqualified by the same court because her running mate did not provide a document showing a clean criminal and financial record.

Another popular candidate, Roberto Arzu, was also disqualified because of a similar technicality to Pineda. He was also previously sanctioned for campaigning too early.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Guatemala elections: Vote on Sunday amid alleged irregularities - Al Jazeera English