Procedures and Requirements to be a deputy in Guatemala

A deputy is that official belonging to the State, which has the purpose of representing the people in all political activity or other activity that is the responsibility of the population. The requirements to be a deputy in Guatemala are detailed below.

Requirements to be a deputy in Guatemala

The Organic Law of the Legislative Organ establishes that the deputies, individually and collectively, must ensure the dignity and prestige of Congress, and are responsible to the Plenary Assembly and to the Nation for their conduct. In short, they are the representatives of the people and the dignitaries of a Nation.

The title of Article 162 of the Political Constitution of Guatemala establishes the requirements to be elected Deputy of the Congress of the Republic. This fragment explains the obligation to meet the following conditions:

Papers to consign

The new regulation, approved on November 25, 2016, specifically regulates in Article 53, that candidates must present the following documents:

Steps to be a deputy

The steps to be a deputy in Guatemala basically consist of meeting the requirements established above and collecting the respective documents. Once these essential conditions are fulfilled, you must be attentive on the website of the Guatemalan Congress https://www.congreso.gob.gt/ to verify when to go to present the formal application to be part of said governmental entity.

Functions of a deputy in Guatemala

Its main functions include discussing and approving the laws that regulate the conduct of a given society. In bicameral countries, they usually make up the lower house, while the upper house is made up of the Senators.

In general, its function is to legislate laws, represent citizens and supervise when necessary.

Term of a deputy

It is established by law that the deputies of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala will last five years in office, and may be reelected.

Salary of a deputy

According to the Disc. 57-2008, called the Law on Access to Public Information, it has been announced that Each deputy receives an approximate salary of Q. 29,000 per monthThey also enjoy employment benefits according to the law.

How many deputies are there in Guatemala?

The Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala establishes that the Congress of the Republic will be made up of deputies elected by the district system, and 25% from the national list, the latter. Currently the Congress of the Republic is made up of 158 citizen deputies.

Functions of Congress in Guatemala

Among the functions and attributions that the Congress of the Republic receives established by law, the following are included:

The functions it performs are the following:

1. Derived, constituted or reform constituent function: which indicates that it can reform the Constitution through initiatives or projects.
2. Representation and political leadership role: the function of representation has to do with the representation of society in general; and the political direction, consists of orienting the main objectives that the government of any country proposes. It also consists of selecting the instruments and actions to make these objectives a reality, in a long-term vision on certain issues.
3. Legislative or regulatory function: which consists of the ability to create, issue and formulate norms, as well as reform or repeal them, in strict adherence to constitutional rules and those that the body itself has created for its operation. This function also implies that draft resolutions, legislative agreements and operative paragraphs are presented.
4. Public control and inspection function: It is summarized in ensuring that the exercise of power of the Executive Branch remains in accordance with the law, as well as monitoring the fulfillment of all those commitments that it assumes, such as, for example, summoning different public officials to render reports on certain matters. public.
5. Political control function: indicates that they can communicate with the Ministers and other authorities, to question them about their actions within the position if necessary, and thus learn about the accusations that are made.
6. Judicial function: It refers to when there is, or is not, a place for the formation of judicial, criminal or other processes, against the high officials on whom it is competent to hear in the matter of pre-trial.
7. Elective function: This function affirms that according to the Constitution and the laws, they must elect the officials that are responsible for them, in accordance with the procedures prescribed in the same regulations.
8. Protocol function: This attribution indicates that it is authorized to receive Heads of State and Government of other countries; also including, when the president of Congress takes and receives the oath of law from the high officials of the State.

In the same way, when its periods of sessions begin and close, when the Vice President is given possession of the Presidency of the Republic due to the absolute absence of the President, also when national celebrations are commemorated and on any other occasion that so requires.

9. Administrative function: affirms that the deputy establishes his own organization and operation through his legal and regulatory norms.
10. Budgeting function: since it corresponds to approve, disapprove or modify the Budget of Income and Expenditures of the State sent by the Executive Organism.
11. Role in military matters: It has the important power of declaring war or peace, allowing the passage of a foreign army or the establishment of foreign military bases in the national territory. Ultimately, also ignoring the President having completed his constitutional term, in which case the Army would come under his command, as established in article 165, literal g.
12. Other functions: which consist of those assigned to them by the Constitution and other laws; for example, a call for general elections when the Supreme Electoral Tribunal has not held it on the date established by law (article 169 of the Constitution), as well as the initiative to carry out a consultative procedure which is called by the electoral body mentioned above (article 173 of the Constitution).

Current deputies in Guatemala

Currently the Congress of the Republic is made up of 158 citizen deputies. Some of the most relevant deputy positions in Guatemala are the following: