Dirty Campaigns Prevail
in Guatemala
Just ten days before the
Guatemalan general
elections, the
candidates seem to be
more interested in
discrediting their
rivals than going in
depth into their own
proposals to the
citizenry, election
organizers warned on
Thursday.
Interchange of unfounded
accusations, mutual
insults, destruction of
campaign materials and
distribution of
malicious messages to
undermine the
candidates' prestige has
practically buried the
ethical code signed in
April by the political
parties.
Through the Internet and
fliers distributed in
the streets, candidates
are attacking and
denigrating rivals for
different public posts,
and illegal actions of
all kinds are attributed
to them.
All the groups have
presented complaints
about this campaign,
considered a form of
electoral violence,
although none has
accepted responsibility
for those actions.
The Supreme Electoral
Court (TSE) recently
called all the parties
to avoid attacks and
aggression and promote
dialogue among its bases
and members.
In this democratic game
we should be conscious
there are not winners or
losers, but have the
necessary vision to do
the best for Guatemala,"
TSE Justice Oscar
Bolaños said. |
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