IFES Election Guide - Election Profile for Guatemala

Election Profile:

Overview

Results

Of Interest/Links

Sources

Country: Guatemala
Official Name: Republic of Guatemala
Election Type: Presidential
First Round: November 9, 2003
Second Round: December 28, 2003

Source for election date

At stake in this election:

The office of President of Guatemala

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Alfonso Antonion PORTILLO Cabrera
Head of Government: President Alfonso Antonion PORTILLO Cabrera
Assembly: Guatemala has a unicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) with 158 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term.
In the Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) 158 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Second Round of the Presidential race:

Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo*
Party: Grand National Alliance
Alvaro COLOM Caballeros
Party: National Unity for Hope

* GANA consists of the the Partido Patriota, Movimiento Reformador, Partido Solidardidad Nacional

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo*
Alliance: Grand National Alliance (GANA)
Alvaro COLOM Caballeros**
Party: National Unity for Hope (UNE)
Jose Efrain RIOS Montt
Party: Guatemalan Republic Front (FRG)
Leonel Eliseo LOPEZ Rodas
Party: National Advancement Party (PAN)
Friederich Garcia-Gallont BISCHOF
Party: Unionista Party
Rodrigo Asturias AMADO
Party: Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG)
Jose Eduardo SUGER Cofiño
Party: Authentic Integral Development (DIA)
Manuel Eduardo Conde ORELLANA
Party: Movimiento Social y Politico Cambio Nacional
Other Candidates
Party: N/A

* GANA consists of the the Partido Patriota, Movimiento Reformador, Partido Solidardidad Nacional
** Presidential candidates BERGER and COLOM will enter the second round of elections on December 28, 2003.

Last Presidential election:

The last presidential election was held on November 7, 1999 with a run off held on December 26, 1999. In the second round, Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera of the Guatemlan Republican Front (FRG) won the presidency by securing 68% of the votes against Oscar BERGER Perdomo of the National Advancement Party (PAN) who had 32% of the votes.