Press Releases
............................................................................................

Former Guatemalan Dictator, Ríos Montt, Third Place in Elections; Will Lose Immunity; Candidates in Run-Off Must Promise to Fulfill Peace Accords and End Impunity
November 11, 2003

Press Statement
For Immediate Release
Contacts: Sarah Aird, Executive Director (202) 518 7638; sarah_aird@igc.org
Matthew Kennis, National Organizer (202) 518 7638; nisgua@igc.org

 

On November 9th, over half the Guatemalan voting population turned out, soundly rejecting the FRG's presidential candidate, former military dictator Efrain Rios Montt. By early Tuesday evening, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) had tallied 96% of the vote. Based on the TSE's figures, presidential candidates Oscar Berger of the Great National Alliance party (GANA) and Alvaro Colom of the National Unity for Hope party (UNE) will move forward to the second round on December 28th, having obtained 35% and 27% of the vote, respectively.

"Despite FRG attempts to guarantee Rios Montt's election through bribery, vote buying, and intimidation, on November 9th, the Guatemalan people said 'Enough.' It's time Rios Montt pays for the atrocities that took place under his leadership twenty years ago. His electoral defeat finally makes his prosecution for genocide and crimes against humanity viable," said Sarah Aird, Executive Director of NISGUA.

Nevertheless, Guatemala's future remains uncertain. "For the last four years, State personnel at the highest levels have been involved in rampant corruption, abuse of State funds, and the burgeoning of organized crime. With crime and human rights abuses on the rise, and more than half the Guatemalan population living below the poverty line, the incoming president will need to focus on meeting the needs of the Guatemalan people if he wants to avert complete social chaos." explained Aird.

It will be particularly important to keep a sharp eye on the entering government to ensure it addresses longstanding issues of impunity. In this respect, the 2nd round of elections are worrisome. "The two leading candidates have ties to the military, organized crime, and 'parallel powers,'" noted Matthew Kennis, National Organizer at NISGUA. "The international community, in cooperation with Guatemalan organizations, must be vigilant so that Guatemalan State promises to dismantle the notorious Presidential General Staff (EMP) and uphold the Peace Accords are not reneged," said Kennis. "It is also vital that the incoming administration support the creation of a special United Nations investigative commission (CICIACS) to identify and prosecute individuals involved in human rights violations, drug trafficking, organized crime, and corruption," added Kennis.

Download Press Release - (1.1MB - )