Guatemalan general election, 2007
Encyclopedia
A general election was held in Guatemala
in two rounds on 9 September and 4 November 2007. Voters went to the polls to elect a new President
and Vice President
of the Republic, 158 congressional deputies
, and 332 mayors
.
) did not field a candidate for the presidential election.
of the National Unity of Hope
(UNE) and former Army General Otto Pérez Molina of the Patriotic Party
(PP) on 4 November 2007.
The ruling Grand National Alliance
(GANA), after placing third in the first-round vote, declined to endorse either Colom or Pérez Molina for the second round.
With 97.23% of the vote counted in the second round, Colom was declared the winner with just over 52 percent.
(UNE) made huge gains in the election, receiving 27.08%, nearly 10 percentage points more than November 2003. The Patriotic Party
(PP), which ran independent of the Grand National Alliance
(GANA), received 24.97% of the vote. GANA itself received 18.28% of the vote.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
in two rounds on 9 September and 4 November 2007. Voters went to the polls to elect a new President
President of Guatemala
The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839, when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz...
and Vice President
Vice President of Guatemala
Vice President of Guatemala is a political position in Guatemala which is since 1966 elected concurrently with the position of President of Guatemala. Latest Vice President who took over as President was Gustavo Espina in 1993....
of the Republic, 158 congressional deputies
Congress of Guatemala
The Congress of the Republic is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Guatemala.It comprises 158 deputies, who are elected by direct universal suffrage to serve four-year terms . Twenty-nine of these are elected from nationwide lists, with the rest on a district list basis...
, and 332 mayors
Municipalities of Guatemala
The departments of Guatemala are divided into 332 municipalities or municipios. The municipalities are listed below, by department:-Alta Verapaz Department:*Cahabón*Chahal*Chisec*Cobán*Fray Bartolomé de las Casas*Lanquín*Panzós*Raxruha...
.
Results
A total of fifteen parties contested the election, though one of them (the Front for DemocracyFront for Democracy
The Front for Democracy is a political party in Guatemala. In the legislative elections held on 9 September 2007, the party secured 0.91 % of the votes in the race for national-list deputies and, save for defections, will have only no seats in the 2008-12 Congress....
) did not field a candidate for the presidential election.
Presidential election
Around 60% of the voting public participated in the 9 September first-round vote. However, no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote, and so a run-off election was held between Álvaro ColomÁlvaro Colom
Álvaro Colom Caballeros is the President of Guatemala for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic National Unity of Hope .-Early years:...
of the National Unity of Hope
National Unity of Hope
The National Unity of Hope is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 2002 and defines itself as a social-democratic and social-Christian party....
(UNE) and former Army General Otto Pérez Molina of the Patriotic Party
Patriotic Party (Guatemala)
The Patriotic Party is a right wing political party in Guatemala.It was founded on 24 February 2001 by retired Army General Otto Pérez Molina.-2003 election:...
(PP) on 4 November 2007.
The ruling Grand National Alliance
Grand National Alliance
The Grand National Alliance is a right-wing political party in Guatemala. The acronym "GANA" also spells out the word gana, from the verb ganar, "to win".-Formation and 2003 election:...
(GANA), after placing third in the first-round vote, declined to endorse either Colom or Pérez Molina for the second round.
With 97.23% of the vote counted in the second round, Colom was declared the winner with just over 52 percent.
Congressional election
The National Unity of HopeNational Unity of Hope
The National Unity of Hope is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 2002 and defines itself as a social-democratic and social-Christian party....
(UNE) made huge gains in the election, receiving 27.08%, nearly 10 percentage points more than November 2003. The Patriotic Party
Patriotic Party (Guatemala)
The Patriotic Party is a right wing political party in Guatemala.It was founded on 24 February 2001 by retired Army General Otto Pérez Molina.-2003 election:...
(PP), which ran independent of the Grand National Alliance
Grand National Alliance
The Grand National Alliance is a right-wing political party in Guatemala. The acronym "GANA" also spells out the word gana, from the verb ganar, "to win".-Formation and 2003 election:...
(GANA), received 24.97% of the vote. GANA itself received 18.28% of the vote.
Presidential and vice-presidential candidates
A full list appears on the Electoral Court's website.- Óscar Castañeda (VP: Roger Valenzuela) for the National Advancement PartyNational Advancement PartyThe National Advancement Party is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 1989.In the 1990 and 1995 elections its presidential candidate was Álvaro Arzú who won in 1995, becoming Guatemala's 32nd president ....
(PAN) - Vinicio Cerezo Blandón (VP: Pablo Ramírez Rivas) for Guatemalan Christian DemocracyGuatemalan Christian DemocracyThe Guatemalan Christian Democracy , founded 24 August 1955, was a political party in Guatemala. It was a moderate reformist party, although also anti-Communist. It first won congressional seats in [Guatemalan parliamentary election, 1955|1955]]. In 1957, it contested presidential elections but...
(DCG). Cerezo Blandón is the son of Vinicio Cerezo ArévaloVinicio CerezoMarco Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo is a Guatemalan politician. He served as President of Guatemala from 14 January 1986 to 14 January 1991 and currently sits in Congress.-Career:...
, who served as president from 1986 to 1991. - Álvaro ColomÁlvaro ColomÁlvaro Colom Caballeros is the President of Guatemala for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic National Unity of Hope .-Early years:...
(VP: José Rafael EspadaRafael EspadaDr. José Rafael Espada is the Vice President of Guatemala and a former cardiothoracic surgeon.Espada is well known in the Houston cardiothoracic surgery community. He grew up in Guatemala. From an early age he wanted to grow up to be a doctor...
) for the National Unity of HopeNational Unity of HopeThe National Unity of Hope is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 2002 and defines itself as a social-democratic and social-Christian party....
(UNE). Colom was the runner-up in the 2003 presidential election. - Manuel Conde Orellana (VP: Juan Francisco Manrique) for the Democratic UnionDemocratic Union (Guatemala)The Democratic Union is a political party in Guatemala.At the legislative elections, 9 November 2003, the party won 2.2% of the popular vote and 2 out of 158 seats...
(UD) - Mario Estrada (VP: Mario Torres Marroquín) for the Nationalist Change UnionNationalist Change UnionThe Union National Change is a political party in Guatemala. In the legislative elections held on 9 September 2007, the party secured 4.06% of the votes in the race for national-list deputies and, save for defections, will have four seats in the 2008-12 Congress...
(UCN). - Fritz García-Gallont (VP: Enrique Godoy García Granados) for the Unionist PartyUnionist Party (Guatemala)The Unionist Party is a conservative political party in Guatemala, who advocates the re-creation of a Central American union....
(PU). - Alejandro Giammattei (VP: Alfredo Vila Girón) for the Grand National AllianceGrand National AllianceThe Grand National Alliance is a right-wing political party in Guatemala. The acronym "GANA" also spells out the word gana, from the verb ganar, "to win".-Formation and 2003 election:...
(GANA). Giammattei served as director of the national prison service under GANA president Óscar BergerÓscar BergerÓscar José Rafael Berger Perdomo, born on 11 August 1946 in Guatemala City, is a former President of Guatemala.-Early years:Of Belgian descent, Berger was born to an upper class family with large sugar and coffee holdings...
. - Pablo Monsanto (VP: Mariano Portillo Lemus) for the New Nation AllianceNew Nation AllianceThe New Nation Alternative was a leftist political party in Guatemala.In the legislative elections of 9 November 2003, the party won 4.9% of the popular vote and 6 out of 158 seats...
(ANN). - Rigoberta MenchúRigoberta MenchúRigoberta Menchú Tum is an indigenous Guatemalan, of the K'iche' ethnic group. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the plight of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War , and to promoting indigenous rights in the country...
(VP: Luis Fernando Montenegro) for the Encounter for Guatemala (EG) party. Menchú is a K'iche' Maya and Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
laureate. Press reports in late August reported that she had withdrawn from the race because of financial constraints and low levels of support; these reports were false. - Otto Pérez Molina (VP: Ricardo Castillo Sinibaldi) for the Patriotic PartyPatriotic Party (Guatemala)The Patriotic Party is a right wing political party in Guatemala.It was founded on 24 February 2001 by retired Army General Otto Pérez Molina.-2003 election:...
. Pérez Molina is a retired army general who was active in the Civil WarGuatemalan Civil WarThe Guatemalan Civil War ran from 1960-1996. The thirty-six-year civil war began as a grassroots, popular response to the rightist and military usurpation of civil government , and the President's disrespect for the human and civil rights of the majority of the population...
. - Luis Rabbé (VP: Haroldo Quej Chen) for the Guatemalan Republican FrontGuatemalan Republican FrontThe Guatemalan Republican Front is a right-wing political party in Guatemala.It was created in 1989 by former president and dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, and formally registered in 1990...
(FRG) - Héctor Rosales (VP: Carlos Pérez Rodríguez) for Authentic Integral DevelopmentAuthentic Integral DevelopmentAuthentic Integral Development was a political party in Guatemala.At the last legislative elections, held on 9 November 2003, the party won 3.0% of the popular vote and 1 out of 158 seats in Congress....
(DIA). - Miguel Ángel Sandoval (VP: Walda Barrios Ruiz) for Guatemalan National Revolutionary UnityGuatemalan National Revolutionary UnityThe Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity is a Guatemalan political party that started as a guerrilla movement but laid down its arms in 1996 and became a legal political party in 1998 after the peace process after the Guatemalan Civil War.-Formation:Since the CIA-backed...
–MAIZE (URNG–MAIZ). - Eduardo SugerEduardo SugerEduardo Suger Cofiño is a Guatemalan physicist, scholar, and politician. Founder of Universidad Galileo and Instituto Suger Montano. He is participating on the current elections under the CREO party.-External links:*...
(VP: Erwin Lobos Ríos) for the Social Action CentreSocial Action CentreThe Social Action Centre is a political party in Guatemala. In the legislative elections held on 9 September 2007, the party secured 4.89 % of the votes in the race for national-list deputies and, will have five seats in the 2008-12 Congress. In the presidential election of the same day, its...
(CASA).
Polls
Presidential results by department (2nd round)
| Departments Departments of Guatemala ||Guatemala is divided into 22 departments :#Alta Verapaz#Baja Verapaz#Chimaltenango#Chiquimula#Petén#El Progreso#El Quiché#Escuintla#Guatemala#Huehuetenango#Izabal#Jalapa#Jutiapa#Quetzaltenango#Retalhuleu#Sacatepéquez... |
Colom Álvaro Colom Álvaro Colom Caballeros is the President of Guatemala for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic National Unity of Hope .-Early years:... |
Pérez Molina | Write-in | None |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Verapaz Alta Verapaz Alta Verapaz is a department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by El Petén, to the east by Izabal, to the south by Zacapa, El Progreso, and Baja Verapaz, and to the west by El Quiché.Also in Alta Verapaz... |
92,610 | 81,977 | 3,656 | 6,939 |
| Baja Verapaz Baja Verapaz Baja Verapaz is a department in Guatemala. The capital is Salamá.Baja Verapaz houses the Mario Dary Biotope Preserve, preserving the native flora and fauna of the region, especially the endangered national bird of Guatemala, the Resplendent Quetzal.... |
22,376 | 29,087 | 267 | 2,035 |
| Chimaltenango Chimaltenango (department) Chimaltenango is a department of Guatemala. The capital is Chimaltenango. Located to the east are the departments of Guatemala, home to Guatemala City, and Sacatepéquez, while also bordered by the departments of El Quiché and Baja Verapaz to the north, Escuintla and Suchitepéquez to the south, and... |
66,089 | 47,563 | 373 | 2,909 |
| Chiquimula Chiquimula (department) - Municipalities :# Camotán# Chiquimula# Concepción Las Minas# Esquipulas# Ipala# Jocotán# Olopa# Quezaltepeque# San Jacinto# San José La Arada# San Juan Ermita-External links:*... |
39,094 | 38,980 | 574 | 3,118 |
| Petén Petén (department) Petén is a department of the nation of Guatemala. It is geographically the northernmost department of Guatemala, as well as the largest in size — at it accounts for about one third of Guatemala's area. The capital is Flores... |
44,204 | 36,750 | 1,808 | 2,471 |
| El Progreso El Progreso (department) El Progreso is a department in Guatemala. The capital is Guastatoya and the largest city is Sanarate.- Municipalities :# El Jícaro# Guastatoya# Morazán# San Agustín Acasaguastlán# San Antonio La Paz# San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán# Sanarate# Sansarate... |
21,836 | 17,638 | 238 | 895 |
| El Quiché | 81,915 | 60,504 | 3,679 | 5,618 |
| Escuintla Escuintla (department) Escuintla is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. Its capital is the city of Escuintla. The department of Escuintla covers an area of 4,384 km² and is situated in the coastal lowland region to the South of Guatemala-City, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Escuintla produces about 43 percent of... |
95,315 | 46,550 | 5,326 | 4,413 |
| Guatemala Guatemala (department) Guatemala is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. The capital is Guatemala City, which also serves as the national capital.The department covers a surface area of 2,126 km², and had a population of 2,541,581 at the 2002 census.- Municipalities :... |
297,114 | 436,551 | 20,421 | 31,171 |
| Huehuetenango Huehuetenango (department) Huehuetenango is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. It is situated in the western highlands and shares borders with México in the north and west; with El Quiché in the east, with Totonicapán, Quetzaltenango, and San Marcos to the south. The capital is the city of Huehuetenango.Huehuetenango's... |
85,218 | 63,271 | 3,267 | 5,184 |
| Izabal Izabal (department) Izabal is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. Its coastal areas form part of the homeland of the Garifuna people.Izabal is bordered to the north by Belize, to the north east by the Gulf of Honduras, and to the east by Honduras, and by the Guatemalan departments of Petén to the north west,... |
40,210 | 28,241 | 2,678 | 1,926 |
| Jalapa Jalapa (department) Jalapa is a department of Guatemala, in the south east-of the republic. The capital is the city of Jalapa.In 2000 the department of Jalapa had an estimated population of 390,500. The majority is ladino, of predominantly European descent, with sizable minorities of K'iche' and Poqomam Maya... |
30,182 | 28,132 | 672 | 1,980 |
| Jutiapa Jutiapa (department) Jutiapa is a department of Guatemala that borders along El Salvador and the Pacific Ocean. The capital is the city of Jutiapa. It has a population of about 400,000, primarily of European and Native American extractions.The population is ethnically "ladinos" in its majority... |
52,968 | 45,416 | 498 | 2,307 |
| Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango (department) Quetzaltenango is a department in the western highlands of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala. The inhabitants include Spanish-speaking Ladinos and the K'iche' and Mam Maya groups, both with their own Maya language... |
79,654 | 66,862 | 632 | 6,227 |
| Retalhuleu Retalhuleu (department) Retalhuleu is a department located in the south-west of Guatemala, extending from the mountains to the Pacific Ocean coast. It has an area of 1856 km². In 2002 the population of the Department of Retalhuleu was 241,411. The capital is the city of Retalhuleu.... |
39,754 | 25,311 | 536 | 2,011 |
| Sacatepéquez Sacatepéquez (department) Sacatepéquez is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. Population estimate 265,500 in 2000. The name comes from Sacatepéquez, a city from November 21, 1542 until July 29, 1773 when it was destroyed by the Santa Marta earthquake. Sacatepéquez means grasshill in the Pipil Maya dialect.The capital of... |
36,644 | 34,105 | 175 | 2,031 |
| San Marcos San Marcos (department) San Marcos is a department in Guatemala. The capital is the city of San Marcos.-Departmental history:The department was created by a governmental decree on 8 May 1866, together with Huehuetenango, Izabal and Petén departments... |
92,670 | 58,837 | 1,708 | 6,459 |
| Santa Rosa Santa Rosa (Guatemalan department) Santa Rosa is a department in Guatemala. The capital is Cuilapa.- Municipalities :# Barberena# Casillas# Chiquimulilla# Cuilapa# Guazacapán# Nueva Santa Rosa# Oratorio# Pueblo Nuevo Viñas# San Juan Tecuaco# San Rafael Las Flores... |
45,191 | 33,700 | 230 | 2,340 |
| Sololá Sololá (department) Sololá is a department in the west of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Sololá.- Municipalities :# Concepción# Nahualá# Nueva Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan# Panajachel# San Andrés Semetabaj# San Antonio Palopó# San José Chacayá# San Juan La Laguna... |
48,928 | 28,052 | 838 | 2,644 |
| Suchitepequez Suchitepéquez (department) Suchitepéquez is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. Its capital is Mazatenango.It is situated in the southwestern region of Guatemala, limiting to the north with Quetzaltenango, Sololá and Chimaltenango, to the south with the Pacific Ocean, to the east with Escuintla, and to the west with... |
67,738 | 39,717 | 2,112 | 3,515 |
| Totonicapán Totonicapán (department) Totonicapán is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Totonicapán.- Municipalities :# Momostenango# San Andrés Xecul# San Bartolo# San Cristóbal Totonicapán# San Francisco El Alto# Santa Lucía La Reforma... |
38,124 | 18,942 | 665 | 3,174 |
| Zacapa Zacapa (department) Zacapa is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Zacapa.- Municipalities :# Cabañas# Estanzuela# Gualán# Huité# La Unión# Río Hondo# San Diego# Teculután# Usumatlán# Zacapa-External links:***... |
31,515 | 28,507 | 236 | 1,829 |
| Total | 1,449,349 | 1,294,693 | 50,589 | 101,196 |