PRESIDENT PORTILLO WILL VETO ELECTION HOLIDAY LAW

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 002831 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2013 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EAID GT SUBJECT: PRESIDENT PORTILLO WILL VETO ELECTION HOLIDAY LAW REF: A. GUATEMALA 2796 ¶B. GUATEMALA 2827 Classified By: PolCouns David Lindwall for reason 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) President Portillo called the Ambassador early on the morning of November 5 to say that he would veto the election holiday law, as he had promised. Congress did not hold a special session to revise the bill on November 4, and the Executive Decree of November 3 (signed by Vice President Reyes Lopez in Portillo's absence) had not resolved the problem. With tensions mounting and growing international pressure for a veto, Portillo has assured us he will veto it today. Foreign Minister Gutierrez also called to Ambassador to tell him the controversial law would be vetoed today. ¶2. (C) Comment: The removal of the holiday law will ease tensions going in to the final days of the election campaign, but it will not fully restore confidence in the opposition that is waiting to see if the FRG has any other election week surprises up their sleeves. The FRG leadership has promised us (and the OAS, EU and MINUGUA) that they will be well behaved. HAMILTON