The Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Guatemala (TSE) temporarily lifted this Sunday the disqualification of the President-elect’s Seed party Bernardo Arevalo until October 31, once the current election process is formally over.
The party was disqualified on August 28 by the Citizens’ Registry (electoral register), for complying with a controversial court order, which prevented Semilla from any activity and reduced the powers of its deputies. This led Arévalo to denounce a plan to “coup” to prevent him from assuming power in January 2024.
“The resolution SRC-R-3207-2023 issued by the Director of the Citizens Registry is left in suspense until the conclusion of the electoral process”on October 31, ordered the TSE in a resolution read by its spokesman, Luis Gerardo Ramírez.
“It is not reasonable or prudent to expose the validity of political organizations […] as long as the electoral process does not conclude”add the resolution.
Arévalo is the son of a president who left his mark on the country and his broad victory over the continuismo candidate, former first lady Sandra Torres, is attributed to the fact that he generated hope for change with his promise to fight corruption head-on, an endemic evil in the country.
In January, when calling the presidential, legislative, and municipal elections for June 25, the TSE announced that this electoral process would formally end on October 31.
The delivery of his credential as president-elect to Arévalo is yet to be delivered, a step in the ongoing process, among other formalities.
The TSE urged this Sunday in its resolution “to the three powers of the State so that […] continue to ensure respect for the popular will expressed at the polls” in the ballot on August 20.
The crusade against Semilla was launched by the questioned prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche after Arévalo gave surprise in the first round of elections on June 25 and went to the ballot against Torres.
Eight days after Arévalo’s victory in the ballot, the head of the Citizens’ Registry disqualified the party, by complying with an order from questioned judge Fredy Orellana.
“Bring sanity”
“The decision of the TSE to stop the suspension of our party brings sanity to this crucial moment in history, where democracy is giving its best battle, agreed by the honest and decent people of this country”, Nino Matute, elected Semilla councilor in the capital, told AFP.
For his part, Semilla deputy Raúl Barrera stressed that “Although its effects are only temporary, this resolution is of great value.”
“The Plenary of TSE Magistrates expressly requests the three powers of the State to guarantee the transmission of command to those elected”wrote the legislator on the social network X, formerly Twitter.
By being disabled, Semilla cannot perform any activities, such as raising money or adding affiliates. In addition, its 23 new deputies will have reduced powers.
Arévalo indicated on Friday that in his country “There is a group of corrupt politicians and officials who refuse to accept this result [del balotaje]”. “We are seeing a coup in progress”, added.
He affirmed that these actions are promoted by the attorney general Consuelo Porras, the prosecutor Curruchiche and judge Orellana, “as well as the board of directors of Congress and other corrupt actors.”
In Washington, the head of the OAS Electoral Mission in Guatemala, Eladio Loizaga, also warned on Friday about a possible “breaking of the constitutional order in Guatemala” for the actions of justice against the Arévalo party.
“Corrupt Actors”
Guatemala is mired in poverty, violence and corruption, evils that induce thousands of Guatemalans to emigrate each year. But the rise to power of the social democrat Arévalo has alarmed the political and business elite, accused of being corrupt.
Attorney General Porras, prosecutor Curruchiche (who made the request to disqualify Semilla) and Judge Orellana (who issued that order) are on a US list of “corrupt” actors.
Curruchiche alleges alleged irregularities in the party’s registration process in 2017, but the international community suspects that it is a pretext to weaken Arévalo or prevent his rise to power.
In addition to boycotting the electoral process, Porras and Curruchiche are carrying out a criticized crusade against judges and prosecutors who have fought corruption and journalists.
A 64-year-old sociologist and congressman, Arévalo must replace President Alejandro Giammattei, which will close a 12-year cycle of right-wing governments.
He is the son of President Juan José Arévalo (1945-1951), one of the leaders of the “spring” Guatemala, which ended when his successor Jacobo Árbenz was overthrown in 1954 by a US-orchestrated military rebellion.
Source: AFP
Source: Gestion
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