The Congress of the Republic (Spanish: Congreso de la República) is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Guatemala.
It comprises 158 deputies, who are elected by direct universal suffrage to serve four-year terms (the number was increased from 113 for the 2003 election). Twenty-nine of these are elected from nationwide lists, with the rest on a district list basis. Each of the country's 22 departments serves as a district, with the exception of the department of Guatemala, containing the capital, which, on account of its size, is divided into two (distrito central and distrito Guatemala). It is not uncommon that Congress Members change parties during the legislature term, as well as Congress Members seceding from a party to create a new party or congressional block.
| Parties and alliances | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriotic Party (Partido Patriota, PP) | 1,171,337 | 26.62% | +10.71 | 56 | +26 |
| National Unity of Hope (Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza, UNE) Grand National Alliance (Gran Alianza Nacional, GANA) |
993,198 | 22.57% | –16.571 | 48 | –372 |
| Nationalist Change Union (Union del Cambio Nacionalista, UCN) | 417,935 | 9.50% | +5.44 | 14 | +10 |
| Renewed Democratic Liberty (Libertad Democrática Renovada, LIDER) | 390,319 | 8.87% | +8.87 | 14 | +14 |
| Commitment, Renewal and Order (Compromiso, Renovación y Orden, CREO) | 381,652 | 8.67% | +8.67 | 12 | +12 |
| Vision with Values (Visión con Valores, VIVA) Encounter for Guatemala (Encuentro por Guatemala, EG) |
346,557 | 7.87% | +1.703 | 6 | +23 |
| Winaq Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity — Broad Left Movement (Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca — Movimiento Amplio de Izquierda, URNG–MAIZ) Alternative New Nation (Alternativa Nueva Nación, ANN) |
141,938 | 3.23% | –1.394 | 3 | +15 |
| National Advancement Party (Partido de Avanzada Nacional, PAN) | 137,390 | 3.12% | –1.46 | 2 | –2 |
| Guatemalan Republican Front (Frente Republicano Guatemalteco, FRG) | 120,455 | 2.74% | –7.06 | 1 | –14 |
| Unionist Party (Partido Unionista, PU) | 118,788 | 2.70% | –3.40 | 1 | –7 |
| Victory (VICTORIA) | 71,501 | 1.62% | +1.62 | 1 | +1 |
| Social Action Centre (Centro de Acción Social, CASA) | 47,390 | 1.08% | –3.81 | – | –5 |
| National Development Action (Acción de Desarrollo Nacional, ADN) | 39,251 | 0.89% | +0.89 | – | ±0 |
| National Convergence Front (Frente de Convergencia Nacional, FCN) | 23,272 | 0.53% | +0.53 | – | ±0 |
| Valid votes | 4,400,983 | 100.00 | — | 158 | — |
| Blank votes | 351,659 | ||||
| Invalid votes | 337,388 | ||||
| Total votes (turnout 69.34%) | 5,090,030 | ||||
| Source: Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Guatemala (TSE) and El Periodico 1 2007: as two separate parties. 2 2007: UNE – 48 seats; GANA – 37 seats. 3 2007: only Encounter for Guatemala. 4 2007: URNG-MAIZ and ANN as two separate parties. 5 2007: only URNG-MAIZ. |
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Guatemala also returns deputies to the supranational Central American Parliament.
Famous quotes containing the word congress:
“What Congress and the popular sentiment approve is rarely defeated by reason of constitutional objections. I trust the measure will turn out well. It is a great relief to me. Defeat in this way, after a full and public hearing before this [Electoral] Commission, is not mortifying in any degree, and success will be in all respects more satisfactory.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)