Guatemala: CC Approves Seed Movement for Runoff Election

The Constitutional Court of Guatemala (CC) granted this Thursday an injunction to revert the suspension of the party Seed Movement (center-left), after the Attorney General's Office tried to revoke its legal status.

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"The Constitutional Court granted the provisional injunction requested (...) so that the second round of elections can be held on the indicated date and with the participation of the ruling candidates," reads the resolution of the Guatemalan court.

Thus, the candidate Bernardo Arévalo de León, who leads the center-left party, will be able to participate in the second electoral round on August 20.

Four of the five magistrates of the highest court of the country accepted the request of the political group's lawyers to annul the order to cancel its legal personality, which contravenes the Electoral and Political Parties Law.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal reaffirms its unwavering commitment to guarantee and defend the vote as a right and a civic duty inherent to citizenship. Reliable and transparent electoral process!

The party filed its appeal at the stroke of midnight on July 12, shortly after the Seventh Court of Criminal Instruction ordered the suspension of its legal personality, as requested by the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity (FECI), in charge of Rafael Curruchiche.

Judge Freddy Orellana issued the measure due to an alleged case of anomalies in the signatures collected during the creation of the party.

In spite of this, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Guatemala confirmed this Thursday that the presidential run-off will be held on August 20 between the candidates who won in the first round of the elections. The run-off will be between Sandra Torres, of the Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE, conservative), and Arévalo, of the Seed Movement.

According to the supreme electoral judges, in order to expel or suspend a political party, a procedure specified in the Electoral and Political Parties Law must be complied with.