Type: republic
Capital: Guatemala
Administrative divisions: 22 departments (departamentos, singular -
departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula,
El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa,
Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San
Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986 note: suspended 25 May 1993 by President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president
Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Ramiro DE LEON Carpio
(since 6 June 1993); Vice President Arturo HERBRUGER (since 18 June
1993); election runoff held on 11 January 1991 (next to be held
November 1995); results - Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge
CARPIO Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%
note: President SERRANO resigned on 1 June 1993 shortly after
dissolving Congress and the judiciary; on 6 June 1993, Ramiro DE LEON
Carpio was chosen as the new president by a vote of Congress; he will
finish off the remainder of SERRANO's term which expires 14 January
1996
cabinet: Council of Ministers; named by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica): by agreement of
11 November 1993, a special election was held on 14 August 1994 to
select 80 new congressmen (next election to be held in November 1995
for full four year terms); results - percent of vote by party; FRG
40%, PAN 31.25%, DCG 15%, UCN 10%, MLN 2.5%, UD 1.25%; seats - (80
total) FRG 32, PAN 25, DCG 12, UCN 8, MLN 2, UD 1
note: on 11 November 1993 the congress approved a procedure that would
reduce its membership from 116 seats to 80; the procedure provided for
a special election in mid-1994 to elect an interim congress of 80
members to serve until replaced in a general election in November
1995; the plan was approved in a general referendum in January 1994
and the special election was held on 14 August 1994