Before you vote, get informed!

María del Carmen Aceña, member of our editorial board, calls upon all Guatemalan's to vote, but in a conscious manner. Her advice is to take into account, not only the prefessional background of each of the 19 candidates, but also the record of the parties who support them; their ability to lead the Nation, as well as that of those who surround them, and their proposals for a Government Plan.

"If the candidate does not have a plan, watch out ", warns Aceña, since this will force him or her to improvise. It is also important to analyze the role the next Government will play in the country's economic issues, and the steps it will take towards liberalizing the economy. Safety plans, education and social security programs will also be important when making a decission at the polls.

Economic growth in the recent past has remained at an annual rate of 4%. This means that the per capita income has shown an increase of 1 % each years. But more than half of the population's income is not enough, even to fulfill their daily need for food. Therefore, this growth rate es far too slow to be sustained for more than a decade.

Most of the 19 candidates promise structural changes in the economic system. They also seem to agree in the need to reach greater living standards, for which it is necessary to be more productive and competitive. Aceña assures that a national agenda is practically already set. That is why it's so important make the right decission, and if none of the candidates is good enough, one should vote for the candidate who shows to be the "less far" from what can be considered "ideal".