Guatemala’s president-elect Alejandro Giammattei has suspended the presidential transition process until further notice, according to an announcement made on Tuesday.
Giammattei has asked the transition team, created to prepare for the handover of government following the election victory in August, to not carry out activities related to the passing of power until the government reaches an agreement with political parties in the Congress.
The focus of the negotiations is a law proposed by outgoing president Jimmy Morales that would create a new special body to investigate corruption. Critics argue that the law, which still needs to be approved by Congress, grants too much power to the executive branch and would be used to stifle investigations into corruption.
Giammattei, who has promised to tackle corruption and extend his anti-corruption agenda as president, called for a legislative agreement on the issue, without which, he argued, it would be impossible to ensure a peaceful transition of power.
The president-elect, of the conservative Vamos party, said that any effort to obstruct the passing of power would not be tolerated and warned that he would use all legal means to prevent it. Giammattei added that he would consider calling on security forces to assist in ensuring the passing of a peaceful transition of power if necessary.
