From a November 2010 post on Guatemala Gears up for 2011
Another other interesting discussion from the article is that, as of today, several of the most likely 2011 candidates are barred from running under existing rules. Article 186 of the constitution would seem to ban Sandra Torres de Colom and Zury Rios Montt. Torres should not be able to run because she is related to the current president. Zury Rios Montt, on the other hand, should not be able to run because her father came to power in a military coup.
Former president Álvaro Arzú is a third candidate who will have trouble running. Article 187 bans presidential reelection under any circumstances.
The IPS article does not talk about Harold Caballeros of Visión con Valores (Viva). Caballeros might not be able to run because Article 186 also prohibits the leaders of religious groups and cults. I'm not sure that anyone knows what is going to happen next year, but I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of them find a way to run.
Okay, so this last prediction isn't looking very good. Torres' candidacy has been blocked three different times by the TSE. Zury Rios declined the FRG's invitation to be its presidential candidate because of the party's lack of campaign resources and "unfair competition." Alvaro Arzu decided to run for reelection as mayor of Guatemala City and leave it up to his wife to run for president on the Unionist Party's ticket.
And now on Wednesday, the Citizen's Registry nixed Viva-EG presidential candidate Harold Caballeros from the list of candidates because he is an evangelical pastor. Caballeros has been polling fifth for most of the campaign season. Caballeros rejected the TSE's ruling because he says that he stopped ministering in 2006.
It's no wonder that 80% of all Guatemalans believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction and that 70% believe things are worse under Colom than they were under Berger.
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