Guatemala Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala
local long form: Republica de Guatemala
local short form: Guatemala

Data code GT

Government type republic

National 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 followingouster of president

Legal system civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not acceptedcompulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (since 14 January 1996); VicePresident Luis Alberto FLORES Asturias (since 14 January 1996); note - thepresident is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (since 14 January 1996); VicePresident Luis Alberto FLORES Asturias (since 14 January 1996); note - thepresident is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election lastheld 12 November 1995; runoff held 7 January 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000)
election results : Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen elected president; percent of vote - AlvaroEnrique ARZU Irigoyen (PAN) 51.2%, Jorge PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 48.8%

Legislative branch unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (80seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 12 November 1995 to select 80 new congressmen (next tobe held in November 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAN 43, FRG 21, FDNG6, DCG 4, UCN 3, UD 2, MLN 1
note: on 11 November 1993 the congress approved a procedure that reduced itsnumber from 116 seats to 80; the procedure provided for a special electionin mid-1994 to elect an interim congress of 80 members to serve until replacedin the November 1995 general election; the plan was approved in a generalreferendum in January 1994 and the special election was held on 14 August1994

Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia); additionally theCourt of Constitutionality is presided over by the President of the SupremeCourt, judges are elected for a five-year term by Congress

Political parties and leaders National Centrist Union or UCN [Juan AYERDI Aguilar]; Christian DemocraticParty or DCG [Alfonso CABRERA Hidalgo]; National Advancement Party or PAN[Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen]; National Liberation Movement or MLN [Mario SANDOVALAlarcon]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Sergio FLORES Cruz]; RevolutionaryParty or PR [Carlos CHAVARRIA Perez]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [EfrainRIOS Montt]; Democratic Union or UD [Jose CHEA Urruela]; New Guatemalan DemocraticFront or FDNG [Rafael ARRIAGA Martinez]

Political pressure groups and leaders Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, andFinancial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM; Agrarian OwnersGroup or UNAGRO; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Alliance Against Impunityor AAI; leftist movement of former guerrillas known as Guatemalan NationalRevolutionary Union or URNG has four main factions - Guerrilla Army of thePoor or EGP; Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms or ORPA; RebelArmed Forces or FAR; Guatemalan Labor Party or PGT/O; note - signed peacetreaty with government on 29 December 1996; URNG formally disbanded 29-30March 1997

International organization participation BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Miguel LAMPORT Kelsall
chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone : [1] (202) 745-4952 through 4954
FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
consulate(s) general : Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald J. PLANTY (18 July 1996)
embassy: 7-01 Avenida la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address: APO AA 34024
telephone : (502) 331-1541
FAX: (502) 334-8477

Flag description three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and lightblue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includesa green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscriptionLIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence fromSpain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossedswords and framed by a wreath

NOTE: The information regarding Guatemala on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guatemala Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guatemala Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.