alapa, 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 former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following
ouster of president; amended November 1993

Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces
may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since
14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14
January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo
(since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas
(since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 9 November 2003; runoff held 28 December 2003
(next to be held November 2007)
election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of
vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 45.9%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica
(158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held November 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18
note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional
seats increased from 113 to 158

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's
highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year
terms by Congress, each serving one year as president of the
Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by the
Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the President, one
elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala,
and on