Guatemalans Set To Vote Amid Political Upheaval

Guatemalans head to the polls Sunday, days after the country's president resigned and faced initial legal proceedings over allegations of corruption.



There is no clear frontrunner for president, and a run-off election between two of the three leading candidates is expected.



The general election is expected to proceed peacefully Sunday, although many Guatemalans are calling for different approaches, from abstention to tactical voting.



Political campaigns have been largely overshadowed by corruption scandals since April when prosecutors cracked down on a criminal network involving high level officials.



Prosecutors have since accused then-President Otto Perez Molina and his vice president at the time, Roxana Baldetti, of being key figures in the ring that defrauded the state of an estimated $120 million in customs revenue.



Perez Molina resigned from office Wednesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre, who was serving as vice president since Baldetti stepped down in May, was sworn in Thursday as the country's new leader.



Perez Molina appeared in court Thursday to face accusations of bribery and fraud. The presiding judge decided to remand the ex-president into custody overnight.



"Regardless of whatever else may happen, there must be elections," Perez Molina told reporters Thursday before he was escorted by police from the courtroom.



The hearing resumed Friday morning, just 48 hours before Guatemala's general elections.



Citizens of the Central American nation will elect a new president, 158 legislators, 338 municipal governments, and representatives to the parliament. Approximately 7.5 million Guatemalans are registered to vote in a country with a population of 15.5 million.



According to recent polls, there are three leading candidates for president, all polling at between 18 and 25 percent. Jimmy Morales of the National Convergence Front (FCN) is currently in the lead, followed by Manuel Baldizon of the Renewed Democratic Liberty (LIDER) party and Sandra Torres of the National Unity of Hope (UNE) party.



No candidate is expected to garner 50 percent of the vote and an October run-off election between the top two candidates is expected.



Baldizon, a politician and entrepreneur, was the clear favorite earlier this year, before details of a series of corruption scandals came to light.



Along with Perez Molina, Baldizon has been a target of massive nationwide street protests that have been held every week since April. Picket signs reading "It's Not Your Turn, Baldizon", a play on the candidate's slogan, have peppered the demonstrations for months.



In July, Baldizon's running mate, Edgar Barquin, was implicated in a ring that allegedly laundered more than $900 million during the past decade. Speculation about alleged ties to drug traffickers and campaign financing have also dogged the campaign.



The LIDER party has been sanctioned twice by the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The tribunal issued the party a $250,000 fine Tuesday for continuing its campaign after surpassing its spending limit.



Morales is a newcomer to the political scene, an image emphasized by the comedian. The key role of a powerful hardline right-wing military faction in his party has sparked criticism, however, particularly since customs fraud rings began decades ago under military rule.



Torres is considered by many as a more centrist alternative to populist, right-wing Baldizon and Morales. The ex-wife of former President Alvaro Colom is no stranger to corruption scandals either. Torres' sister and nieces were charged with embezzlement in 2011.



Several smaller parties and alliances are expected to receive few votes for their presidential candidates, but will likely win some spots in Congress and in municipal councils.



The electoral campaign got underway shortly after the customs fraud corruption scandal first made headlines in April. There was no time for new electoral options to arise organically from the citizen's anti-corruption movement, and Guatemalans continue to push for substantive political, legislative and electoral reforms.



As a result, many are advocating a range of different tactics at the ballot boxes Sunday, including abstention, voting null, and strategic voting across party lines. Some social movement organizations continue to demand the election be called off given the current political turmoil.



Key international institutions voiced support for the electoral process in the wake of Perez Molina's resignation. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon "calls on all Guatemalans to ensure that the upcoming elections are held in a peaceful environment", his spokesperson said Thursday.



And the head of the Organization of American States (OAS) also weighed in. "In this framework of the exercise of democratic practices and values, I reiterate my wish that the elections scheduled for this Sunday, at which the OAS Electoral Observation Mission will be present, take place peacefully, with transparency and active citizen participation", Secretary General Luis Almagro said Thursday.



The Ministry of the Interior began sending police to polling stations around the country on Friday. - Nikaragua