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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, 1-404-420-5124 or soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

ATLANTA — At the invitation of the Guatemalan Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), The Carter Center will send a small, high-level political delegation to the Sept. 6 general elections in Guatemala. The delegation will be led by a member of the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, former Bolivian President Carlos Mesa, and by David Ives, executive director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Quinnipiac University, and will include Jennie Lincoln, director of the Americas Program at The Carter Center; Ana Caridad, program associate; and Daniel Lemaitre, program assistant.

The presence of the delegation does not constitute an electoral observation but is an expression of the international community's high interest in Guatemala's democratic process. The delegation aims to promote and encourage the authorities and political and social actors in Guatemala to participate in the election and carry out their civic duty based on respect for the rule of law and democratic institutions.

The delegation was preceded by two other visits this year. Mesa served as a witness of honor at the June 12 signing ceremony of the TSE-sponsored "Agreement for a Transparent, Clean, Peaceful and Honest Electoral Process." Twenty of the 28 registered political parties signed the agreement, along with four civil society groups and nine international organizations as witnesses of honor. Additionally, Americas Program staff visited the country in May to study the socio-political conditions leading up to the general elections.

The Center's delegation met with the magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, political party officials, civil society organizations, and representatives of the international community and the private sector.

The Carter Center urges all Guatemalans and their institutions to abide by the constitution and the electoral law and to respect the values and principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter group is composed of former presidents, prime ministers, cabinet ministers, and human rights leaders from the Western Hemisphere who seek to increase the visibility of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and to prevent democratic tensions from erupting into crises. The Friends visit countries to assess democratic tensions, encourage citizens and governments to make use of international resources to defend their democracies and to resolve constitutional conflicts, and recommend ways for the OAS to apply the charter in a constructive and preventative manner. The Carter Center serves as secretariat for the Friends.

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"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care.  The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.

Translations

Delegación de Alto Nivel del Centro Carter estará presente para las Elecciones en Guatemala