Guatemala to hold vote recount over poll fraud allegations

AFP  |  Guatemala City 

will hold a total vote recount after fraud allegations in the wake of last Sunday's presidential and legislative elections, the country's announced Thursday.

Center-left former First Lady leads the presidential poll with 25.7 percent of the vote, ahead of conservative Alejandro Giammattei, with 14 percent.

Both had been expected to contest the August 11 run-off round before Thursday's announcement.

The leftist -- whose candidate came fifth in the -- denounced "evident electoral fraud." Solorzoano said he had invited Cabrera and her party to the court to check her complaint.

The tumultuous campaign to succeed outgoing saw two leading candidates barred from taking part in the poll and the country's top flee the country after threats.

Disturbances broke out Thursday in several municipalities where mayoral candidates rejected the results.

A lawmaker from Morales' FCN-Nacion party, Estuardo Galdamez, went on to condemn electoral fraud and said the country was on the brink of becoming a "dictatorship" under Torres' Unity of

Election monitors from the (OAS), led by former Costa Rican Luis Guillermo Solis, had signed off on the results.

One person died and nine police officers were wounded in disturbances that followed the polls last Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Fri, June 21 2019. 08:10 IST