The current Political Constitution of the Republic is the supreme law of the Republic of Guatemala, which governs the entire State and its other laws and includes the fundamental rights of its population. It was created on May 31, 1985 by the National Constituent Assembly of that year, convened by the then de facto President of the Republic of Guatemala, General Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores, after the elections to the National Constituent Assembly held on July 1, 1984. Said Magna Carta became effective on January 14, 1986.
It was suspended on May 25, 1993 by the then President of the Republic of Guatemala Jorge Antonio Serrano Elías; reinstated on June 5, 1993, immediately after the overthrow of the president; amended in November 1993. The constitutional reforms of 1993 included an increase in the number of Magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice from 9 to 13. The terms of office for president, vice president, and deputies of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala were reduced from 5 to 4 years; for magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice from 6 to 5 years, and the terms of mayors and citizen councils were increased from 2 1/2 to 4 years.
The president and vice president are directly elected by universal suffrage and are limited to one term. A vice president can be a candidate for president after 4 years out of office, provided they have not served as president for more than one year. The magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice are chosen by the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala from among the members of a list sent by the deans of the Faculties of Law, a rector of a University and magistrates of the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court of Justice and local courts handle civil and criminal cases. There is also a Constitutional Court.
Guatemala is administratively divided into 22 departments administered by governors appointed by the president. Guatemala City and 339 other municipalities are governed by popularly elected mayors or councils.
