At two months before the people of Guatemala concur to the voting booths to elect a president and vice-president of the republic, congressmen and mayors of all the municipalities of the republic, the electoral campaign has taken insinuative turn.

The latest published polls show curious information, of which they are worth analyzing.

With 30% of the vote, advancing in second place, Oscar Berger, candidate for the Partido de Avanzada Nacional, conservative party now in power.

Even though it is possible that new candidates will participate in the run for president, up to date, in the polls there is no third force that could change the quality of the favorites previously mentioned candidates.

The novelty of this electoral process is that, for the first time in almost 50 years, the political spectrum is being filled with a participation of the left, which is divided and finds itself in profound crisis, it has not been able to attract more than 5% of the citizens’ preference. The left, originally integrated by a coalition, that was supposedly an authentic and solid, between the Alianza Nueva Nación (ANN), ex guerillas, and the Frente Democrático Nueva Guatemala FDNG, and pulls together pro-human right activists some indigenous sectors that were victims of the war, etc.; it ended by dividing itself after its leaders showed their lack of ability and will to arrive at an accord. In the fourth polling, Alvaro Colom, candidate for the Alianza Nueva Nación (ANN) appears to be stuck in third place, probably as a consequence of the before mentioned break up.

The rest of the parties, small and without possibilities, according to some, are used to give a civic and participative environment to the process; but according others, it only causes chaos and disorientation among citizens.

Trying to attract the vote of the undecided, the majority of parties is running the traditional song and dance/dog and pony show, as well as giving away caps and t-shirts without waking up an authentic interest in citizens to emit their suffrage.

Guatemala has been characterized as being a country with a multi-party system and with the new electoral laws of today, it is much easier to organize a political party. The requirements are minimum and accessible. They say that some people have organized political parties simply to enrich their resume, or perhaps, so that their grandchildren have something to be presumptuous about. Sometimes there are so many political parties in an election that the ballot looks like a string of lottery tickets, like those that fascinate young and old at villages festivals. These elections could not be an exception, if its leaders decide to finally enroll, this year we will have, at least, nine presidential candidates. For some, the more idealistic, this massive participation gives the elections a festive civic democracy environment, or better stated it gives flavor to the soup; and for others, the realists, this only causes chaos and disorientation for citizens. The true is that even with this folkloric ambiance, up till now there are only two candidates with possibilities of triumph. If there is a second round, which is probable, alliances will be necessary and that would be when the little guys can make the difference.

In the past, some truly unbelievable and amazing things occurred on election day, citizens with their enviable civic fervor that voted two or even three times for the same candidate and the deceased remembering the civic duties of the youth would return simply to fulfill their sacred duty to vote. It was in those days that they always lacked voters, but when it came time to count the votes, there were always extras.

With the deceased and all, Guatemala was always gold medal in electoral abstention in the area of Latin America. Worried about this chronic abstention, many non-governmental organizations and the cooperative movement, with the support of the United Nations, has implemented a campaign in favor of voting.

With high hopes, the people of Guatemala will go out in masses to the voting booths and will freely elect the future president of this country!

By Víctor García Castañón.