Guatemala · Government
Government and administration in Guatemala
How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.
The three branches
- Executive — President and Vice-President
- Single four-year term; re-election absolutely barred.
- Legislative — Congress of the Republic
- 160 deputies elected for four years.
- Judicial — Corte Suprema de Justicia
- Elected by Congress from lists drawn up by nominating commissions.
- Oversight — Procurador de los Derechos Humanos
- Human-rights ombudsman appointed by Congress.
How legislation is made
Bills go through three readings and article-by-article approval in Congress. The President may veto within 15 days; Congress overrides with two-thirds. Bills touching constitutional matters must be sent to the Corte de Constitucionalidad for a prior opinion.
Enforcement institutions
- Ministerio Público
- Headed by a Fiscal General serving a fixed four-year term.
- Policía Nacional Civil
- Created by the 1996 peace accords to replace the militarised police.
- Instituto de la Defensa Pública Penal
- Autonomous public defender, including bilingual defenders.
Government bodies and regulators
- judicialCorte Suprema de JusticiaHighest ordinary court and administrator of the judiciary.
- judicialCorte de ConstitucionalidadSeparate constitutional tribunal.
- executiveMinisterio PúblicoPublic prosecution service headed by the Fiscal General.
- legislativeCongreso de la RepúblicaUnicameral legislature of 160 deputies.
- independentProcuraduría de los Derechos HumanosHuman rights ombudsman appointed by Congress.
- independentTribunal Supremo ElectoralAutonomous electoral authority.
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