Wife of Guatemalan President Colom seeks divorce to run for presidential election

As Guatemala's constitution bans close relatives of the president from standing to succeed him, she is divorcing her husband to be able to run for president, but so far, neither Torres nor President Colom have commented on the divorce petition.

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

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

The main opposition candidate - Otto Perez Molina of the right-wing Patriot Party – has accused the couple of seeking to defraud the system, insisting a divorce would not be enough to overcome the constitutional ban on close relatives of the president standing to succeed him.

The final say on whether Torres can stand will rest with Guatemala's Constitutional Court.

Sandra Torres has played a prominent role in Alvaro Colom's presidency, supervising the government's poverty relief programmes. Critics have also alleged that she wields even more power over her husband behind the scenes.