Guatemala Elections: Observers Say Political Parties and Justice System Interfered

Independent observers pointed out that several political parties and the country's justice system are attempting to ignore the will of the people during the Guatemala elections.

The report, which came from the Organization of American States' observation mission to Guatemala, found that Guatemalan political parties and other actors have dragged the elections held last June 25 into the courts to interfere with the results.

"The mission considers that the abuse of legal instruments by actors unsatisfied with the results introduced a high degree of uncertainty in the electoral process and put at risk the country's democratic stability," the report stated.

The presidential election's first leg featured over 20 candidates, with the Top 2 moving to face each other in a run-off election in August. Former First Lady Sandra Torres expectedly got the top spot, though the second placer surprised everyone, as it is center-left anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arevalo. His presence in the presidential run-off is considered disruptive by the country's ruling elite.

The country's highest court, the Constitutional Court, ordered a review of challenged precinct vote tallies after several losing parties requested an injunction. However, this came after several independent observers, including the US and the Organization of American States, stated that they did not find any anomalies in the Guatemala election.

The report from the observers stated that the losing political parties "tried to use very isolated errors to sow doubt about the trustworthiness of the election and suggest there were systematic problems," according to the Associated Press.

During the review, the independent observers were present, and they stated that the results were "almost identical to the preliminary results" and declared the election "successful." The Organization of American States' election mission in Guatemala included 90 observers looking at the election. These observers came from around 20 different countries.

US Concerned About Threats to Guatemala Election Credibility

It is not just the Organization of American States that voiced its concerns, but also the US government. The US State Department recently released a statement saying that "the United States is deeply concerned by the Public Ministry's attempt to revoke the legal status of the Semilla party amidst the election process."

This is in reference to the attempt to revoke the legal status of Bernardo Arevalo's party after he won the right to run in the August run-offs against Sandra Torres.

The State Department's statement, which was released via its official website, continued, "These actions put at risk the legitimacy of the electoral process at the core of Guatemala's democracy, which should be advanced and upheld consistent with Guatemala's constitution and the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The will of the Guatemalan people, as expressed through the June 25 elections results, must be respected."

Bernardo Arevalo Continues Campaigning Despite Efforts To Stop His Run

Despite the turmoil to derail his candidacy, Bernardo Arevalo, the candidate no one expected to win, continues campaigning around Guatemala. He recently attracted thousands of people in the largely Indigenous Totonicapan area.

According to NPR, the leftist candidate vowed to end corruption and centuries of racism and discrimination in Guatemala. His surprise entry into the run-off is now making him reach more people, as his message begins resonating with many Guatemalans who are already fed up with the current political system.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Guatemala election turmoil: Arevalo relaunches run-off campaign - Al Jazeera English