Guatemala: Guatemala’s Constitutional Court has temporarily suspended the certification of the results for the first round of the presidential election due to complaints from rival political parties. This unexpected move has sparked concerns about the potential overturning of the election outcome, which could pose a threat to the country’s already fragile democracy.

The court’s decision was announced late on July 1, following a surprising victory by the progressive Seed Movement.

Mr. Bernardo Arevalo, the underdog candidate, emerged as the winner in the crowded field, securing one of the two seats in the final round with 11.8 percent of the vote. The conservative candidate Sandra Torres of the National Unity of Hope (UNE) party received the highest number of votes, with 15.8 percent support.

Mr. Arevalo’s unexpected triumph has prompted complaints from ten political parties, including the UNE. They contend that a significant number of votes exhibit inconsistencies, alterations, and other discrepancies.

The Constitutional Court responded to the complaints with the suspension and a review of the vote tallies, which included congressional and municipal races as well as the presidential one.

Mr. Arevalo’s Seed Movement, meanwhile, has failed to stop the election review. On July 2, Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Council denied its request for an annulment of the process.

Recently, United States Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken issued a statement backing the election results and calling on the Constitutional Court to respect democratic norms.

“The United States supports the Guatemalan people’s constitutional right to elect their leaders via free and fair elections and is deeply concerned by efforts that interfere with the June 25 election result. Undermining the June 25 election would be a grave threat to democracy with far-reaching implications,” the statement noted.

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