Development: On 6 May the head of the supreme electoral court (TSE), María Eugenia Villagrán, announced that, as of June, information regarding the electoral process will be broadcast in four of the main indigenous languages (k'iche', mam, kaqchikel and q'eqchi') via 30,000 radio spots on 90 different radio stations.

Significance: This is the first time that the TSE has complied with the 2003 law of national languages which compels state institutions to provide information translated in the indigenous languages spoken in each region. It also suggests that the long marginalized indigenous sector (which conservative estimates put at 40% of the national population, comprising 24 different groups) could play a more important role in the 11 September election.

Key points:

• Although it will be possible to hear the spots across the country, the TSE explained that the main objective is to have an impact in the seven (out of 22) departments with an indigenous majority: Totonicapán, Sololá, Quiché, Alta and Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango and Huehuetenango.

• This attempt to mobilize the indigenous vote follows a change to the electoral law, which took effect before the 2007 election, increasing the number of polling stations (JRVs) by 65% from 8,910 in 2003 to 13,756 in 2007. New polling stations were created in areas that contained over 500 registered citizens, taking into account criteria such as residence, access, distance and security, as part of efforts to improve voter participation. This particularly affected rural communities in the country's interior, many of which are primarily composed of indigenous populations, and was thought to benefit President Alvaro Colom and his centre-left Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE) – which won 20 out of Guatemala's 23 electoral districts.

• The European Union's electoral mission report on the 2007 election cited an unprecedented interest in the indigenous electorate from the competing political parties, both as a result of the decentralization but also the likely "significant media repercussions" of the decision by indigenous leader Rigoberta Menchú to run for the presidency (although she ultimately took only 3% of the vote). Menchú is planning to stand again in September.