GUATEMALA CITY, Aug 29 ― Guatemala's supreme electoral tribunal yesterday ratified the victory of centre-left candidate Bernardo Arevalo in the country's presidential election although a new bid to suspend his party sowed fresh confusion about the fraught process.
Arevalo, a 64-year-old ex-diplomat and son of a former president, resoundingly won the August 20 second-round run-off after prosecutors had earlier threatened to bar his party, Semilla, from the election, prompting an international outcry.
Electoral tribunal officials declared Arevalo the victor at a press conference, then faced questions about a document from the citizens registry published in the media that ordered a temporary suspension of Semilla's legal registration.
“These are the official results, and that's what counts in Guatemala,” tribunal magistrate Gabriel Aguilera said.
Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the document, which was also shared in social media.
Tribunal head Irma Palencia said the citizens registry was a lower authority, but could not yet comment on the document's contents because she had yet to be formally notified about it. She underlined that Arevalo was officially the winner.
The tribunal said Semilla had three days to file a suit against the suspension order, which Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre said had again come at the request of prosecutors. The party did not immediately reply to a request for comment. ― Reuters