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OAS Electoral Mission Observes the Conclusion of the Vote Count Verification Hearings in Guatemala

The Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Guatemala has observed the conclusion of the vote count verification hearings that ended in the Capital City.

During the special procedure ordered by the Constitutional Court (CC), the OAS/EOM verified that, in the exercise of their autonomy, the Departmental Boards (Juntas Electorales Departamentales, JED) carried out their work, for the second time, complying with the purpose of providing political parties a space to present their disagreements and claims. The comparison of the minutes was carried out, and some electoral packages were even opened when the JED considered it appropriate.

The Mission observed that, despite some incidents of intimidation against members of the JED, the review and comparison of minutes was carried out satisfactorily, complying with the principles of maximum publicity and transparency in the presence of political parties, the media, and national and international observers. The Mission verified that, after this process, no serious irregularities were revealed and that no significant changes were registered when compared to the preliminary results of Sunday, June 25.

Likewise, the OAS Mission expresses its concern about the attempt to continue judicializing the electoral process and deems unnecessary the tone in which the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) has addressed the TSE as the entity in charge of conducting the electoral process. In democracy, mutual respect among official institutions is fundamental.

For the OAS/EOM it is extremely important to advance to the following stages of the election. With the extension of the electoral process, irrecuperable days of the campaign are being lost, which affects both the candidacies to be able to present their proposals, and the citizens to cast a more informed vote. The OAS Mission recommends that the authorities conclude this phase, summon those who obtained first and second place for the presidential election to the second round, and assign the other positions that were elected.

The Mission once again reiterates the importance of upholding the integrity and respect for the expression of the people embodied in the polls and that the dissatisfied forces recognize the results after compliance with the post-electoral processes contemplated in the law and an additional instance ordered by the CC. It is time for democratic convictions to prevail and for the common good to be prioritized over individual interests.

The OAS/EOM will continue on the ground in the following days and will return with a national territorial deployment for the presidential runoff on August 20.

Reference: E-037/23