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Guatemalan Candidates Call for
Control
Several Guatemalan presidential
candidates called for the people
to exercise restraint on Friday,
the start of the electoral
campaign, in fear that violence,
dirty tricks or drug trafficking
might tarnish the event.
"We are proposing a decent,
civic fiesta, a clean process of
sound discussion," said National
Unity for Hope (UNE) hopeful
Alvero Colom, who is poll
favorite.
UNE has been worst hit by
violence, with more than a dozen
members killed thus far, and
there is the perception that
aggression will increase as
elections approach.
On Wednesday the Supreme
Electoral Court (TSE) officially
convened the start of the
campaign for the September 9
elections, when the country's
president and vice president, as
well as legislators, mayors and
municipal representatives, will
be elected.
"We want to make a call for
clean, transparent, fraternal
elections, with zero violence,"
Encuentro por Guatemala
candidate Rigoberta Menchu told
Prensa Latina.
At least 20 parties and 12
presidential candidates have
been registered to vie for the
vote of nearly six million
eligible electors.
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