Guatemala Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Republic of Guatemala

Type: republic

Capital: Guatemala

Political subdivisions: 22 departments

Legal system: civil law system; constitution came into effect 1966 but suspended following March 1982 coup; Constituent Assembly elected in July 1984 completed drafting new constitution and other electoral laws in June 1985; elections held 2 Novemlier and 8 December 1985; the new President, Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo, inaugurated 14 January 1986; judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at University of San Carlos of Guatemala; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September

Branches: traditionally dominant executive; new 100-member congress installed 14 Janu ary 1986; power vested in Office of President; seven-member (minimum) Supreme Court

Government leader: Marco Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo, President (since January 1986)

Suffrage: universal over age 18, compulsory for literates, optional for illiterates

Elections: last congressional election held 3 November 1985, presidential runoff election held 8 December 1985

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo; National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge Carpio Nicolle; National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario Sandoval

Alarcon, Institutional Democratic Party (PID) in coalition with MLN; People’s Democratic Force (FDP) in coalition with MLN; Democratic Party of National Cooperation (PDCN), Jorge Serrano Elias; Revolutionary Party (PR) in coalition with PDCN; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario Solarzano Martinez; National Renewal Party (PNR), Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre; National Authentic Center (CAN), Mario Dav id Garcia; Anti-Communist Democratic Front (DUA) in coalition w ith PUA; emerging Movement for Harmony (MEC) in coalition with PUA; 14 political groups participated in national election for a civilian president, congress, and mayoralties; in runoff elections between Vinicio Cerezo (DCG) and Jorge Carpio (UCN), Cerezo won by a 2 to 1 margin

Voting strength: (November 1985) DCG 648,681 (38.65%), UCN 339,522(20.23%), PDCN/PR 231,397 (13.78%), MLN/PID 210,806(12.56%), CAN 105,473(6.28%), PSD 57,362 (3.41 %), PNR 52,941 (3.15%), PUA/FUN/MEC 32,118 (1.91%); (December 1985) DCB 51 seats, UCN 22 seats, MLN 12 seats, PDCN/PR 11 seats, PSD 2 seats, PNR 1 seat, CAN 1 seat

Communists: Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT); main radical left guerrilla groups— Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed Forces (FAR', and PGT Dissidents

Other political or pressure groups: Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CAC1F), Mutual Support Group (GAM)

Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, 1CAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPFB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

NOTE: The information regarding Guatemala on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guatemala 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guatemala 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.