Chamber:
	Congreso de la República
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	14 August 1994
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament following premature dissolution of this body in view of implementing the constitutional reforms approved the previous January.
Background and outcome of elections:
	The congressional elections were originally scheduled for 1995 but later moved up at the prompting of President of the Republic Ramiro de Leon Carpio, who had succeeded Mr. Jorge Serrano Elias in June 1993 wen the latter was ousted from power. Shortly thereafter, a new national unity Cabinet was appointed to serve until fresh presidential elections and Mr. de Léon requested the voluntary resignation of Congress and the Supreme Court in the context of a “national crusade against corruption”. In January 1994, a series of constitutional reforms were approved by referendum. The changes concerned, inter alia, the election of a new Congress which would serve until 14 January 1996, the reduction in the legislature’s term from five to four years, and a decrease in the number of Deputies from 116 to 80, elected according to a mixed system. Fresh legislative elections were to be held in November 1995 in conjunction with presidential elections. On a polling day marked by a very low turnout (caused in part by stormy weather), right-wing parties swept to victory, gaining an absolute majority in the smaller Congress. Of the 18 groups in contention (which fielded some 800 candidates), the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG) of former military ruler General Efrain Rios Montt, with 32 seats, topped the five others achieving representation. During the campaign, Gen. Montt had for his part promised to combat corruption and violent crime. Altogether 18 incumbent Deputies were re-elected. Mr. Serrano’s Solidarity Action Movement (MAS) lost all 18 seats it had held. The newly elected Congress was inaugurated on 13 September 1994. Despite winning the greatest number of seats, the FRG was excluded from the congressional directorate by an alliance of four rival groups. However, in December the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) transferred its allegiance and Mr. Rios Montt was subsequently elected President of Congress.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (14 August 1994): Elections results
Number of registered electors	3,400,000 (approx.)
Voters	21.1%

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Departmental Seats	National Seats
Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG)	32	25	7
National Advancement Party (PAN)	24	19	5
Christian Democratic Party (PDC)	13	11	2
National Centre Union (UCN)	7	5	2
National Liberation Movement (MLN)	3	3	0
Democratic Union (UD)	1	1	0

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	74
Women:	6