Guatemalan general election, 2003

Guatemalan presidential election, 2003

9 November 2003

Nominee Óscar Berger Álvaro Colom Party GANA UNE Popular vote 1,235,303 1,046,868 Percentage 54.1% 45.9%

President before election Alfonso Portillo FRG President-elect Óscar Berger GANA

General elections were held in Guatemala on 9 November 2003, with a second round of the presidential election held on 28 December.^[1] Óscar Berger won the presidential election, representing the Grand National Alliance, a coalition of alliance of the Patriotic Party, the Reform Movement and the National Solidarity Party. The Alliance were also victorious in the Congressional elections, winning 47 of the 158 seats. Voter turnout was 57.9% in the Congressional elections, 58.9% in the first round of the presidential elections and 46.8% in the second.^[2]

Presidential election

The ruling Republican Front of Guatemala (FRG) nominated former military ruler Efraín Ríos Montt to succeed outgoing president Alfonso Portillo Cabrera. A constitutional ban on former coup leaders (Ríos Montt during 1982-83) led to strong conflict inside the country, including the besiegement of Guatemala for a day: 24 July 2003, known as jueves negro ("Black Thursday"). In the first round of voting, Ríos Montt came third behind the centrist mayor of Guatemala City, Óscar Berger, and the more left-wing candidate Álvaro Colom.

Results

President

Candidate	Party	First round		Second round
		Votes	%	Votes	%
Óscar Berger	Grand National Alliance	921,233	34.3	1,235,303	54.1
Álvaro Colom	National Unity of Hope	707,578	26.4	1,046,868	45.9
Efraín Ríos Montt	Guatemalan Republican Front	518,328	19.3
Leonel Eliseo Lopez Rodas	National Advancement Party	224,127	8.4
Frederich García-Galont Bischof	Unionist Party	80,943	3.0
Rodrigo Asturias	Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity	69,297	2.6
Eduardo Suger	Authentic Integral Development	59,774	2.2
Jacobo Arbenz Villanova	Guatemalan Christian Democracy	42,186	1.6
José Angel Lee Duarte	Social Participative Democracy	37,505	1.4
Francisco Arredondo	National Union	11,979	0.4
Manuel Eduardo Conde Orellana	Social and Political Movement National Change	10,829	0.4
Invalid/blank votes		253,390	–	91,298	–
Total		2,937,169	100	2,373,469	100
Sources: Nohlen; European Union Electoral Observation Mission Final Report (p. 19 - first round, p. 20 - second round)[3]

Congress

Party	PR		District		Total seats
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Grand National Alliance	620,121	24.3	504,010	23.0	49
Guatemalan Republican Front	502,470	19.7	486,019	22.2	41
National Unity of Hope	457,308	17.9	362,859	16.5	30
National Advancement Party	278,393	10.9	270,549	12.3	17
Unionist Party	157,893	6.2	133,663	6.1	7
New Nation Alliance	123,853	4.9	59,891	2.7	6
Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity	107,276	4.2	93,980	4.3	2
Guatemalan Christian Democracy	82,234	3.2	78,523	3.6	0
Authentic Integral Development	75,295	2.9	67,456	3.1	1
Democratic Union	55,793	2.2	55,321	2.5	2
Social Participative Democracy	28,425	1.1	29,109	1.3	0
Transparency	27,740	1.1	21,421	1.0	0
Social and Political Movement National Change	18,005	0.7	15,265	0.5	0
National Union	17,478	0.7	10,274	0.5	0
Other parties	–	–	4,204	0.2	0
Invalid/blank results	384,562	–	318,828	–	–
Total	2,936,936	100	2,511,372	100	158
Sources: Nohlen; European Union Electoral Observation Mission Final Report (p. 19)[3]

References

1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p323 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
2. Nohlen, p324
3. "Guatemala General Elections 2003: European Union Electoral Observation Mission Final Report" (PDF). European External Action Service. Retrieved December 3, 2012.