Guatemalan Congress Delaying Referendum

Carlos Raul Morales

Guatemala’s official position is the same as that of Belize. They want to go to a referendum, and if successful, on to the ICJ. Where that referendum is concerned though, there’s been a delay caused by months of civil unrest in Guatemala, which has pushed a referendum down on a list of critical priorities. Guatemalan, however, can now hold the referendum separately, but time has run out for them. Still, Morales says that there is hope that they can get it done in 2016.

Carlos Raul Morales, Foreign Minister, Guatemala

“Now, my Congress is in the process to debate what changes it will do to the electoral law because we need to change it. We need to change many laws in Guatemala and sadly for me, because I would like to do it in the second round of elections that will be in October. I would like to do this referendum, but sadly for me, the priority of my congress is this present moment is the changes to the political law, different laws. But there is another window of opportunity because probably, we have to do another change to our constitution and it will require the elections of constituency assembly and by sure next year, probably, we will go on elections again and there will be another opportunity to do the referendum. My message is we need to go as soon as possible to the ICJ; we need to solve as soon as possible our differendum. It is not possible to still having this differendum between two brothers and Belize and Guatemala we are very good brothers and we need to go as soon as possible.”