Guatemala: President Alvaro Colom to divorce wife Sandra Torres

by alaaron | March 22, 2011 at 03:32 am

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What will presidents not do to extend their stay in power? While those in Libya and Ivory Coast have no problem killing the citizens so as to stay in power, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom and his wife Sandra Torres chose a divorce so she can stand for election to succeed him. At the least there will be no bloodshed and that will be a way out of a constitutional ban that prevents relatives of the president from succeeding him. But if she is eventually allowed on the balot, what happens if she loses? Reconcile with her hubby? That we will have to wait and see

Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom and his wife Sandra Torres have filed for divorce so she can stand for election to succeed him, officials say.

Ms Torres announced she would be the governing party candidate in September's presidential election earlier this month.

But Guatemala's constitution bans close relatives of the president from standing to succeed him.

Court officials confirmed a petition for divorce had been submitted.

"The request for divorce by mutual consent was presented on 11 March to a judge at the second family court," Supreme Court spokesman Edwin Escobar said.