Guatemala

Congress of the Republic

Political system: Presidential system
Structure of parliament: Unicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 06 Sep 2015
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: No information available
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Number of seats at stake: 158
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election: 17
The number of candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes
The number of women candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes

Voter turnout

Registered voters: 7,556,873
Voters: 5,375,103
Voter turnout: 71.1%

Results

About the election: As in the previous elections, no party won an outright majority in the 158-member Congress of the Republic. According to unofficial results, Democratic Renewed Liberty (LIDER), led by Mr. Manuel Baldizon, came first, taking 45 seats. Mr. Baldizon had previously lost to Mr. Otto Perez Molina in a presidential run-off ballot in 2011. LIDER then went on to support President Molina in 2011–2015 legislature. National Unity of Hope (UNE), led by Ms. Sandra Torres Casanova (ex-wife of former President Álvaro Colom), followed with 32 seats. Three other parties took more than ten seats: Everyone Together for Guatemala (TODOS), led by former President of the central bank of Guatemala, Lizardo Sosa; the Patriotic Party (PP), established by Mr. Molina in 2001; and the National Convergence Front (FCN NACION), led by former actor Jimmy Morales. During the election campaigning, many candidates promised measures to tackle corruption and crime, and to take action on tax reform.

The 2015 elections followed the resignation of President Otto Perez Molina on 3 September over a corruption scandal. Vice-President Alejandro Maldonado was sworn in as the new President later on the same day to serve out the rest of Mr. Molina's term. The 79-year-old former Constitutional Court judge had become Vice-President in May 2015 when the then Vice-President, Roxana Baldetti, resigned due to the same scandal. Ms. Baldetti has been in custody since that time and maintains her innocence. On 17 September, Mr. Juan Alfonso Fuentes Soria was sworn in as the new Vice-President.

In the presidential elections, held in parallel with parliamentary elections, no candidate secured the required majority. In the run-off ballot held on 25 October, Mr. Morales defeated Ms. Torres. Mr. Maldonado is due to hand over power to the new President on 14 January 2016.
Number of parties winning seats: 13
Percentage of parties winning seats: 76.5%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 28.5%
Alternation of power after elections: Yes

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
Democratic Renewed Liberty (LIDER)	45
National Unity of Hope Party (UNE)	32
All together for Guatemala (TODOS)	18
Patriotic Party (PP)	18
National Convergence Front (FCN NACION)	11
Encounter for Guatemala (EG)	7
Nationalist Change Union (UCN)	7
Commitment, Renewal and Order (CREO) - Unionist Party (UNIONISTA)	5
Vision with Values (VIVA)	5
Convergence	3
National Advancement Party (PAN)	3
Force (FUERZA)	2
WINAQ- Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG)	2

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 136
Number of women elected: 22
Percentage of women elected: 13.9%
Women Directly Elected: 22
Sources: Congress of the Republic (01.12.2015)

Tribunal Supremo Electoral

International Foundation for Electoral Systems

BBC

The New York Times

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 136
Total number of women after the election: 22
Percentage of women after the election: 13.9%
First-term parliamentarians: No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: No information available
Date of the first session: 14 Jan 2016

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Mario Taracena Díaz-Sol (Male)
Political party: National Unity of Hope Party (UNE)
Date of election: 14 Jan 2016