Guatemalan general election, 2003

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Guatemala

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A General Election was held in Guatemala on 9 November 2003. Voters went to the polls to elect a new President (and Vice-President), a new legislature (deputies for the unicameral Congreso de la República), municipal governments, and Guatemala's deputies to the Central American Parliament.

[edit] 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.

Since no candidate secured an absolute majority in this first round, a run-off vote between the top two candidates was held on 28 December, which Berger won with 54% of the votes.

[edit] National Summary of Voting

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 9 November and 28 December 2003 Guatemala presidential election results
Candidates - Parties Votes 1st round % Votes 2nd round %
Óscar Berger Perdomo - Grand National Alliance 921,233 34.3 1,235,303 54.1
Álvaro Colom Caballeros - National Unity of Hope 707,578 26.4 1,046,868 45.9
Efraín Ríos Montt - Guatemalan Republican Front 518,328 19.3
Leonel López Rodas - National Advancement Party 224,127 8.4
Fritz García-Gallont Bischof - Unionist Party 80,943 3.0
Rodrigo Asturias - Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity 69,297 2.6
Eduardo Sager - Authentic Integral Development 59,774 2.2
Jacobo Arbenz Vilanova - Guatemalan Christian Democracy 42,186 1.6
José Angel Lee - Social Participative Democracy 37,505 1.4
Fransisco Arredondo Mendoza - National Union 11,979 0.4
Manuel Conde Orellana - Social and Political Movement National Change 10,829 0.4
Total (turnout 45.8 %) 2,937,169 100.0 2,282,171 100.0
Valid votes 2,683,779 2,190,873
Blank votes 114,004 24,192
Void/Spoilt/invalid 139,384 67,106
Source: Tribunal Supremo Electoral

[edit] Legislative election

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 9 November 2003 Congress of the Republic of Guatemala election results
Parties and alliances Votes % Seats
Grand National Alliance (Gran Alianza Nacional) 620,121 24.3 47
Guatemalan Republican Front (Frente Republicano Guatemalteco) 502,470 19.7 43
National Unity of Hope (Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza) 457,308 18.4 32
National Advancement Party (Partido de Avanzada Nacional) 278,393 10.9 17
Unionist Party (Partido Unionista) 138,713 5.4 7
New National Alliance (Alianza Nueva Nación) 123,853 4.9 6
Guatemalan National Revolucionary Unity (Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca) 107,276 4.2 2
Guatemalan Christian Democracy (Democracia Cristiana Guatemalteca) 82,324 3.2 1
Authentic Integral Development (Desarrollo Integral Auténtico) 75,295 3.0 1
Democratic Union (Unión Democrática) 55,793 2.2 2
Social Participative Democracy (Democracia Social Participativa) 28,425 1.1 -
Transparency (Transparencia) 27,740 1.1 -
Total (turnout 57.8 %) 2,552,374 100.0 158
Invalid and blank votes 446,491
Registered voters 5,073,282
Source: Supreme Electoral Tribunal