| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Congreso de la República / Congress of the Republic |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
6 September 2015 |
| Purpose of elections |
As in the previous elections, no party won an outright majority in the 158-member Congress of the Republic. According to unofficial results, Democratic Renewed Liberty (LIDER), led by Mr. Manuel Baldizon, came first, taking 45 seats. Mr. Baldizon had previously lost to Mr. Otto Perez Molina in a presidential run-off ballot in 2011. LIDER then went on to support President Molina in 20112015 legislature. National Unity of Hope (UNE), led by Ms. Sandra Torres Casanova (ex-wife of former President Álvaro Colom), followed with 32 seats. Three other parties took more than ten seats: Everyone Together for Guatemala (TODOS), led by former President of the central bank of Guatemala, Lizardo Sosa; the Patriotic Party (PP), established by Mr. Molina in 2001; and the National Convergence Front (FCN NACION), led by former actor Jimmy Morales. During the election campaigning, many candidates promised measures to tackle corruption and crime, and to take action on tax reform.
The 2015 elections followed the resignation of President Otto Perez Molina on 3 September over a corruption scandal. Vice-President Alejandro Maldonado was sworn in as the new President later on the same day to serve out the rest of Mr. Molina's term. The 79-year-old former Constitutional Court judge had become Vice-President in May 2015 when the then Vice-President, Roxana Baldetti, resigned due to the same scandal. Ms. Baldetti has been in custody since that time and maintains her innocence. On 17 September, Mr. Juan Alfonso Fuentes Soria was sworn in as the new Vice-President.
In the presidential elections, held in parallel with parliamentary elections, no candidate secured the required majority. In the run-off ballot held on 25 October, Mr. Morales defeated Ms. Torres. Mr. Maldonado is due to hand over power to the new President on 14 January 2016. |
Date of previous elections: 11 September 2011
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections: September 2019
Number of seats at stake: 158 (full renewal)
Number of candidates: Not available.
Percentage of women candidates: Not available.
Number of parties contesting the election: 17
Number of parties winning seats: 13
Alternation of power: Yes |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 6 September 2015 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
7'556'873
5'375'103 (71.13%)
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Democratic Renewed Liberty (LIDER) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National Unity for Hope Party (UNE) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All together for Guatemala (TODOS) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Patriotic Party (PP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National Convergence Front (FCN NACION) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Encounter for Guatemala (EG) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nationalist Change Union (UCN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Commitment, Renewal and Order (CREO) - Unionist Party (UNIONISTA) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Vision with Values (VIVA) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Convergence |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National Advancement Party (PAN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Force (FUERZA) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| WINAQ- Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Renewed Liberty (LIDER) |
45
|
|
|
|
|
| National Unity for Hope Party (UNE) |
32
|
|
|
|
|
| All together for Guatemala (TODOS) |
18
|
|
|
|
|
| Patriotic Party (PP) |
18
|
|
|
|
|
| National Convergence Front (FCN NACION) |
11
|
|
|
|
|
| Encounter for Guatemala (EG) |
7
|
|
|
|
|
| Nationalist Change Union (UCN) |
7
|
|
|
|
|
| Commitment, Renewal and Order (CREO) - Unionist Party (UNIONISTA) |
5
|
|
|
|
|
| Vision with Values (VIVA) |
5
|
|
|
|
|
| Convergence |
3
|
|
|
|
|
| National Advancement Party (PAN) |
3
|
|
|
|
|
| Force (FUERZA) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| WINAQ- Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
136
22
13.92%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
Congress of the Republic (01.12.2015)
http://resultados2015.tse.org.gt/resultados-2015/
http://www.ifes.org
http://www.bbc.com/
http://www.nytimes.com |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
