The Government and Political System in Guatemala

The Republic of Guatemala is a Central American country bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. With a population of 14 million, the country operates on a Constitution approved in 1985 and amended in 1993. Its government functions through three branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial which are run independently of each other.

The Executive Branch has a President both as head of state and head of government, and a Vice-President elected by the people through a multi-party system for a term of four years without reelection. The Vice-President can run for President only four years after the last year of his term. The Executive Branch also consists of 22 departments headed each by a governor appointed by the President, and 331 municipalities with elected mayors and city councils.

The Legislative Branch of government is unicameral, consisting of 158 members of Congress elected for a term of four years from a five-year term under the 1985 Constitution.

The Judicial Branch has the Supreme Court composed of 13 members selected by Congress for a five-year term from a list submitted by the Bar Association, deans of law schools, a university rector, and appellate judges. It elects a President every year from among them, who will supervise trial judges in the country. Under the Supreme Court is the Appeals Court composed of 43 members.

The Constitutional Court is the highest court in the country and functions separately. It is composed of five judges serving a five-year term. Four of them are elected by Congress, Supreme Court, the Superior Council of the Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala, and the Bar Association, and the fifth judge is appointed by the President.