Guatemala City (AP) - Prosecutors in Guatemala made their third request to a court to remove the immunity of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo on Friday, citing irregularities that could potentially annul the election results. The move has been labeled by the Organization of American States (OAS) as part of "a coup attempt."

Arévalo, who is scheduled to be inaugurated on Jan. 14, now faces uncertainty as prosecutors continue to target him and his party. The latest request highlights alleged irregularities in the gathering of signatures by his Seed Movement party several years ago.

Authorities have recently arrested multiple members of the Seed Movement, and previous requests were made to revoke Arévalo's immunity over alleged mishandling of party funds. Furthermore, prosecutors also seek to strip him and his vice president-elect of immunity for their alleged supportive comments on social media regarding the takeover of a public university in the past year.

Expressing their concern, the OAS released a statement condemning the actions of Guatemalan prosecutors and urged the courts and congress not to allow the attempted nullification of this year's general elections. They stated that such attempts to undermine the democratic process represent a political fraud against the will of the people.

Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has faced months of protests and calls for her resignation, along with outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei, has denied any interference in the election results.

Earlier this month, three magistrates of Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal left the country after losing their immunity. This occurred shortly after the Congress allowed the magistrates to be prosecuted, due to pressure from two attorneys associated with a far-right candidate who did not advance to the runoff round of the presidential election.

These attorneys alleged that the tribunal overpaid for software used to carry out and publish vote tallies, claiming there were less expensive options available. The Attorney General's Office had previously stated that its preliminary investigation supported this claim.

Arévalo, despite not being among the top candidates in the initial round of voting in June, secured the second spot in the runoff by vowing to combat corruption in Guatemala. In August's final vote, he won by a significant margin against former first lady Sandra Torres.

With his background as an academic involved in conflict resolution and being untainted by corruption scandals, Arévalo positioned himself as an outsider advocating for change. However, the Guatemalan establishment, which potentially faces the greatest threat from an administration committed to tackling corruption, aims to weaken or prevent Arévalo from assuming office.

During her testimony to the special committee investigating the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, attorney Karen Fisher, who lodged the complaint, urged swift action, emphasizing the rapidly approaching Jan. 14 inauguration date.