Guatemala is a constitutional democracy. The president is the
chief of state, assisted by a vice president, both of whom are
elected to office for a single four-year term. The president is
constitutionally barred from a second term, but the vice
president may run for office after a four-year hiatus from
office. The Congreso de la República is the national
(unicameral) legislative body, consisting of 158 members.
Congress members serve four-year terms running concurrently with
the presidential term. Guatemala has 22 administrative
subdivisions (departments) headed by governors appointed by the
president. Popularly elected mayors or councils govern Guatemala
City and 331 other municipalities. The judicial branch is
independent of the executive branch and the legislature and
consists of a Constitutional Court and a Supreme Court of
Justice. The Constitutional Court is the highest court in the
land and consists of five judges elected for five-year terms,
with each judge serving one year as president of the court.