four-year term;
election last held 12 November 1995; runoff held 7 January 1996 (next
to be held NA November 1999)
election results: Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen elected president;
percent of vote-Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (PAN) 51.2%, Jorge
PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 48.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de
la Republica (80 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held on 12 November 1995 to select 80 new congressmen
(next to be held in November 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PAN 43,
FRG 21, FDNG 6, DCG 4, UCN 3, UD 2, MLN 1
note: on 11 November 1993 the congress approved a procedure that
reduced its number from 116 seats to 80; the procedure provided for a
special election in mid-1994 to elect an interim congress of 80
members to serve until replaced in the November 1995 general election;
the plan was approved in a general referendum in January 1994 and the
special election was held on 14 August 1994

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

Political parties and leaders: National Centrist Union or UCN [Juan
AYERDI Aguilar]; Christian Democratic Party or DCG [Alfonso CABRERA
Hidalgo]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Raphael BARRIOS Flores];
National Liberation Movement or MLN [Mario SANDOVAL Alarcon]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD [Sergio FLORES Cruz]; Revolutionary Party or
PR [Carlos CHAVARRIA Perez]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG
[Efrain RIOS Montt]; Democratic Union or UD [Jose CHEA Urruela]; New
Guatemalan Democratic Front or FDNG [Rafael ARRIAGA Martinez]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Coordinating Committee of
Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or
CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM; Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO;
Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI
note: former guerrillas known as Guatemalan National Revolutionary
Union or URNG signed peace treaty with government on 29 December 1996;
URNG guerrillas formally disbanded 29-30 March 1997 and are in the
process of forming a political party of the same name

International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO,
G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA