Guatemalan general election, 2003

Last updated
Guatemalan presidential election, 2003
Flag of Guatemala.svg
  1999 9 November 2003 2007  

  Oscar Berger 2005 (cropped).jpg Alvaro Colom Caballeros with Obamas (cropped).jpg
Nominee Óscar Berger Álvaro Colom
Party GANA UNE
Alliance Grand National Alliance
Home state Guatemala City Guatemala City
Running mate Eduardo Stein Fernando Andrade
States carried 10 12
Popular vote 1,235,303 1,046,868
Percentage 54.1% 45.9%

President before election

Alfonso Portillo
FRG

President-elect

Óscar Berger
GANA

Coat of arms of Guatemala.svg
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Guatemala
Judiciary

General elections were held in Guatemala on 9 November 2003, with a second round of the presidential election held on 28 December. [1] Óscar Berger won the presidential election, representing the Grand National Alliance, a coalition of alliance of the Patriotic Party, the Reform Movement and the National Solidarity Party. The Alliance were also victorious in the Congressional elections, winning 47 of the 158 seats. Voter turnout was 57.9% in the Congressional elections, 58.9% in the first round of the presidential elections and 46.8% in the second. [2]

Guatemala republic in Central America

Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, Belize and the Caribbean to the northeast, Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south. With an estimated population of around 16.6 million, it is the most populated country in Central America. Guatemala is a representative democracy; its capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as Guatemala City.

Óscar Berger Guatemalan President

Óscar José Rafael Berger Perdomo was President of Guatemala from 2004 to 2008.

The Patriotic Party was a conservative political party in Guatemala. It was founded on 24 February 2001 by retired Army General Otto Pérez Molina.

Contents

Presidential election

The ruling Republican Front of Guatemala (FRG) nominated former military ruler Efraín Ríos Montt to succeed outgoing president Alfonso Portillo Cabrera. A constitutional ban on former coup leaders (Ríos Montt during 1982-83) led to strong conflict inside the country, including the besiegement of Guatemala for a day: 24 July 2003, known as jueves negro ("Black Thursday"). In the first round of voting, Ríos Montt came third behind the centrist mayor of Guatemala City, Óscar Berger, and the more left-wing candidate Álvaro Colom.

Efraín Ríos Montt former de facto President of Guatemala, army general, genocida and former president of Congress

José Efraín Ríos Montt was a Guatemalan general and politician who served as President of Guatemala. Born in Huehuetenango, he was a dictator who took power as a result of a coup d'état on March 23, 1982. He was overthrown by his defense minister, Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, in another coup d'état on August 8, 1983. In the 2003 presidential elections, Ríos Montt unsuccessfully ran as the candidate of the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG). In 2007 he returned to public office as a member of Congress, thereby gaining prosecutorial immunity. He was protected from a pair of long-running lawsuits alleging war crimes against him and a number of his former ministers and counselors during their term in the presidential palace in 1982–83. His immunity ended on January 14, 2012, with the end of his term in legislative office. On January 26, 2012, he appeared in court in Guatemala and was formally indicted for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Jueves negro refers to a violent series of political demonstrations that created havoc in Guatemala City on 24 and 25 July 2003.

Guatemala City City in Guatemala, Guatemala

Guatemala City, locally known as Guatemala or Guate, officially Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, and the most populous in Central America. The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nestled in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita. It is estimated that its population is about 1 million. Guatemala City is also the capital of the Municipality of Guatemala and of the Guatemala Department.

Presidential candidates

Grand National Alliance
Óscar Berger Perdomo Eduardo Stein
for Presidentfor Vice President
Oscar Berger 2005 (cropped).jpg
(Eduardo Stein) Fernandez de la Vega recibe al vicepresidente de Guatemala. Pool Moncloa. 10 de octubre de 2007 (cropped).jpeg
Mayor of Guatemala City (1991-1999)
Candidate for President
(1999)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(1996-2000)
National Unity of Hope
Álvaro Colom Fernando Andrade Díaz
for Presidentfor Vice President
Alvaro Colom Caballeros with Obamas (cropped).jpg
No image.svg
General Secretary of National Unity of Hope
(2003- )
Candidate for President
(1999)
Candidate for President
(1995)

Results

President

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Óscar Berger Grand National Alliance 921,23334.31,235,30354.1
Álvaro Colom National Unity of Hope 707,57826.41,046,86845.9
Efraín Ríos Montt Guatemalan Republican Front 518,32819.3
Leonel Eliseo Lopez Rodas National Advancement Party 224,1278.4
Frederich García-Galont Bischof Unionist Party 80,9433.0
Rodrigo Asturias Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity 69,2972.6
Eduardo Suger Authentic Integral Development 59,7742.2
Jacobo Arbenz Villanova Guatemalan Christian Democracy 42,1861.6
José Angel Lee Duarte Social Participative Democracy 37,5051.4
Francisco Arredondo National Union 11,9790.4
Manuel Eduardo Conde Orellana Social and Political Movement National Change 10,8290.4
Invalid/blank votes253,39091,298
Total2,937,1691002,373,469100
Sources: Nohlen; European Union Electoral Observation Mission Final Report (p. 19 - first round, p. 20 - second round) [3]

Congress

PartyPRDistrictTotal seats
Votes%Votes%
Grand National Alliance 620,12124.3504,01023.049
Guatemalan Republican Front 502,47019.7486,01922.241
National Unity of Hope 457,30817.9362,85916.530
National Advancement Party 278,39310.9270,54912.317
Unionist Party 157,8936.2133,6636.17
New Nation Alliance 123,8534.959,8912.76
Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity 107,2764.293,9804.32
Guatemalan Christian Democracy 82,2343.278,5233.60
Authentic Integral Development 75,2952.967,4563.11
Democratic Union 55,7932.255,3212.52
Social Participative Democracy 28,4251.129,1091.30
Transparency 27,7401.121,4211.00
Social and Political Movement National Change 18,0050.715,2650.50
National Union 17,4780.710,2740.50
Other parties4,2040.20
Invalid/blank results384,562318,828
Total2,936,9361002,511,372100158
Sources: Nohlen; European Union Electoral Observation Mission Final Report (p. 19) [3]

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References

  1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p323 ISBN   978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p324
  3. 1 2 "Guatemala General Elections 2003: European Union Electoral Observation Mission Final Report" (PDF). European External Action Service . Retrieved December 3, 2012.