On August 20, the President and Vice President of the Republic of Guatemala will be officially decided. There is much talk about what is happening leading up to the August elections and what can be expected from the new administration.
To address these concerns regarding the second round, Jose Echeverría, Executive Director of Movimiento Cívico Nacional (MCN) participated in the event "Guatemala's Choice: What's at Stake Before the Runoff?" organized by the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center of the Atlantic Council. Also participating in the discussion were Stephen McFarland, former U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala; María Antonieta del Cid, former president of the Bank of Guatemala and former minister of finance; Marielos Chang, professor of Politics and International Affairs at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala; and Juan Carlos Zapata, executive director of FUNDESA.
Electoral processes must be respected!
What most impacted all the panelists was the delayed and torpedoed process of officializing the first round results, as well as the attempt to suspend the Movimiento Semilla party. During the conversation, it was expressed that the intentions to undermine the first-round results endanger the will of the people and with it the country's democratic, republican, and representative system. It was commented that the process is experiencing extreme judicialization.
While it was acknowledged that the country faces strong democratic challenges, mention was also made of the vote counting boards, "they were the ones who protected our votes," they indicated.
Como @MCNGuatemala a la opinión pública comunicamos: pic.twitter.com/clxgY8S8Ji
— Movimiento Cívico Nacional (@MCNGuatemala) July 4, 2023
The null vote: a latent concern
Compared to other years, the null vote skyrocketed among voters. This year, 17.4% of Guatemalans cast null votes on their ballots, and this, undoubtedly, sparked comments and opinions among the panelists. This shows clear discontent towards the candidates. Voters did not find, among their more than 20 options, one that represented them or met their expectations.
The great lesson of the 2023 elections
This year's general elections showed that it is necessary for people to find political projects and individuals who understand not only their problems but also their needs and know how to address them.
Jose Echeverría highlighted that through the Yo Voto Mejor platform, MCN provided citizens with necessary information to better understand the candidates and to learn about their past and proposals. This was valuable in reinforcing the civic responsibility we have when voting.
Similarly, the need to instill and protect democracy was discussed, through the promotion of the Rule of Law, freedom of expression, and the strengthening of institutions.
"Democracy is an everyday exercise, as ultimately, citizens are the ones who delegate sovereignty," said José Echeverría.