The Supreme Court keeps the election results pending

The President of the Supreme Court of Guatemala, Silvia Valdés, launched a a new suspension of the officialization of the results of the elections held on June 25according to a resolution issued Friday night.

The Valdés’ decision, which was issued unilaterally without the remaining judges of the Supreme Court of Justice, once again leaves the electoral process in Guatemala up in the air.

Valdés ordered the Supreme Electoral Court to deliver a report on the vote comparison procedure that was held from July 4 to 6.

The mentioned second procedure for revising the election results It was a controversial and unprecedented event which happened after the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest court, decided on July 1 to protect nine traditional political parties.

Now, The Supreme Court of Guatemala must decide whether this process was carried out properlyafter receiving legal action from the government party Vamos and the right-wing parties Valor and Creo, who want to challenge the alleged inconsistencies committed in the digitization of votes.

On Friday, the President of the Supreme Electoral Court, Irma Palencia, stated that “it was irresponsible” to question the legitimacy of the verification carried out by electoral committees.

The decision of the courts to suspend the results, according to experts, It could be aimed at disrupting the electoral process due to the discontent of groups associated with the government of the day.

During the election review, the results for the president vary by only 0.4%a minimum that does not affect what Guatemalan voters expressed at the polls on June 25.

In the absence of a final solution, the second election round is scheduled for next August 20between the progressive academic Bernard Aréval De León, of the Seed Movement and former first lady, National Unity of Hope, Sandra Torres Casanova.