Guatemalan general election, 2007

In the presidential elections in Guatemala on September 9, 2007 16 parties and 14 candidates appeared for the presidency in Guatemala. In addition to the election of the President and the Vice President and the election of 158 deputies, as well as the choice of the 332 mayors at the same time took place. The head of state in Guatemala is elected for four years and can not run a second time.

The election campaign was marred by political killings with more than 40 dead. Before the election, there was a strict three-day ban on alcohol in order to reduce expected or feared riots.

The most internationally famous personality of the presidential election was the Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú, who represented the indigenous population as a Quiché - Maya, which accounts for around 40 % of the population in Guatemala. Polls during the campaign showed that they had little chance of an electoral victory.

The most promising candidates were Otto Pérez Molina (PP, former director of military intelligence ) and the businessman Alvaro Colom ( UNE, is regarded as the Social Democratic Party).

Result

In the election for the presidency no candidate received an absolute majority; Therefore, a runoff between the two candidates with the most votes Colom and Molina took place on November 4, 2007. Colom received 53 percent of the vote.

Swell

• History of Guatemala
• 2007 presidential election