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)
16 Jun 2019
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
No information available
Timing of election
Upon normal expiry
Number of seats at stake
160
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election
26

Voter turnout

Registered voters
8,086,526
Voters
5,061,932
Voter turnout
62.6%

Results

About the election

As in the previous elections, no party won an outright majority in the 160-member Congress of the Republic (up from 158). The National Unity of Hope (UNE) party became the largest party, with 58 seats. The Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos), a conservative party led by Mr. Alejandro Giammattei, came a distant second, with 16 seats. In the presidential elections, held in parallel with the parliamentary elections, no candidate secured the required majority. In the run-off elections held on 11 August, Mr. Giammattei (Vamos), former prisons director, defeated former First Lady Sandra Torres (UNE), pledging to become the President “close to the people”. Mr. Giammattei is due to take over as President on 14 January 2020, succeeding Mr. Jimmy Morales, who is constitutionally barred from serving a second term.

The 2019 elections were held against the backdrop of a migration crisis and the President’s decision to shut down the UN-backed anti-corruption agency, the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, known as CICIG. The major parties promised to end poverty and improve education. Some 15 parties also said they would abolish the CICIG. The Seed Movement (Semilla, led by Attorney General Thelma Aldana, who has worked closely with the CICIG) said it would strengthen the CICIG and make government more efficient and transparent. Ms. Aldana, a leading presidential hopeful, was barred from running for the presidential elections (see note) along with another leading presidential candidate, Ms. Zury Ríos, who was barred under the constitutional provision which prevents the close relatives of coup leaders from serving as president.

Note:

Ms. Aldana was initially barred from the race in March 2019 when an arrest warrant against her was issued, accusing her of alleged illegal hiring, embezzlement and tax fraud – allegations that she denied. In May, the Constitutional Court reaffirmed her expulsion from the presidential elections.

Number of parties winning seats
19
Percentage of parties winning seats
73.1%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
33.8%
Alternation of power after elections
Yes

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group Total
National Unity of Hope Party (UNE) 54
Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos) 16
Nationalist Change Union (UCN) 12
VALOR 9
National Welfare (BIEN) 8
National Convergence Front (FCN NACION) 8
Seed Movement (Semilla) 7
All together for Guatemala (TODOS) 7
Vision with Values (VIVA) 7
Commitment, Renewal and Order (CREO) 6
Humanist Party of Guatemala (PHG) 6
WINAQ 4
Victory (Victoria) 3
Citizen’s Prosperity (PC) 3
Unionist Party (UNIONISTA) 3
Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG MAIZ) 3
National Advancement Party (PAN) 2
Podemos 1
Movement for the Liberation of Peoples (MLP) 1
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
129
Number of women elected
31
Percentage of women elected
19.4%
Women Directly Elected
31
Other notes on the elections

Unofficial results.

*In accordance with the 2016 amendments to the Electoral and Political Parties Law, the 2019 elections were held in June instead of September.

Sources

Congress of the Republic (30.07.2019)

https://resultados2019.tse.org.gt/201901/

https://republica.gt/

IFES

New York Times

BBC

BBC Monitoring

AFP

http://awverify.tse.org.gt/images/descargas/decreto262016.pdf

New legislature

Total number of men after the election
129
Total number of women after the election
31
Percentage of women after the election
19.4%
First-term parliamentarians
105
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
65.6%
Date of the first session
14 Jan 2020

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Allan Estuardo Rodríguez Reyes (Male)
Date of birth: 1981
Political party
Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos)
Date of election
14 Jan 2020

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No