National Unity of Hope

The National Unity of Hope (Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza or UNE) is a political party in Guatemala. It was founded in 2002 and defines itself as a social-democratic and social-Christian party.

At the legislative elections on 9 November 2003, the party won 17.9% of the popular vote and 32 out of 158 seats in Congress. Its presidential candidate Álvaro Colom won 26.4% at the presidential elections on the same day and was defeated in the second round, when he got 45.9%.

For the 2007 elections, the party again chose Colom as its presidential candidate. He came in first place with 28% of the vote; the party won 22.8% of the vote and 48 seats in Congress, more than any other party. On 4 November 2007, in the second round of the election, Colom was elected President of Guatemala.

On the general elections of 2011, the Constitutional Court ruled out the candidacy of Colom's ex-wife, Sandra Torres, thus becoming the first time in the history of the elections that an official ruling party will not present presidential and vice-presidential candidacy.

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