Today the Pro Justice Movement of Guatemala sends out a very important communication regarding the upcoming elections of the Attorney General on the 15th of May this year and the election of a new Controller General of the nation. Both are very important public offices that are crucial to strengthen Guatemala's justice system and to improve transparency of the management of public funds.
The Pro Justice Group and other civil society groups like Accion Ciudadana and Foro Guatemala are monitoring the nomination process that has to take place before these two posts can be filled.
Already Guatemala's newspaper "La Hora" has published an assessment of who the next Attorney General will most probably be. They have determined that the most likely candidate will be Gloria Porras. She is an established power house at the Public Ministry and she maintains a good relationship with President Alvaro Colom. She has extensive knowledge concerning the functions of the Public Ministry.
Choosing an Attorney General with personal affinity and trust with the president has been a long tradition in Guatemala.
The election of the new Attorney General of Guatemala in May 2010 is critical for the strengthening of the justice system of the nation. In an interview with The Guatemala Times, Carmen Aida Ibarra, representative of the Pro Justice Movement, explained that, different groups and associations of the civil society, Foro Guatemala, Pro Justice Movement, Myrna Mack Foundation and others are urging Guatemalan society to participate and audit the transparency of the upcoming process.
Carmen Aida Ibarra stated that it is very important to be watchful and detect manipulations of the process by interest sectors.
Guatemala's Congress called the postulation committee last week. The Pro Justice groups have criticised the lack of transparency and access to the process. Erick Alfonso Alvarez, Guatemala's Supreme Court President, is the president of the postulation committee. He has made statements "that he will do as he chooses." And he has effectively done so despite the criticism of the justice groups.
May 15, 2010, is the date the new attorney general, elected for a term of 4 years by President Alvaro Colon, has to take office.
Process for choosing the new Attorney General of Guatemala
The Postulation Committee is conformed by the following entities:
-Guatemala's Supreme Court President (CSJ): Erick Alfonso Álvarez Mancilla
-President of the College of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala: Lic. Óscar Ruperto Cruz Oliva
-President of the Honor Tribunal of the College of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala: Lic. Artemio Rodolfo Tánchez Mérida
The nine Deans of the Faculties of Law of the Universities in Guatemala:
• University of San Carlos de Guatemala, Lic. Bonerges Amílcar Mejía Orellana
• University Rafael Landivar: Lic. Hugo Rolando Escobar
• University Mariano Gálvez de Guatemala: Licda. Mireya Barrera Morales
• University Francisco Marroquín: Dr. Milton Estuardo Argueta Pinto
• Rural University of Guatemala: Dr. Luis César López Permouth
• University del Istmo: Lic. Guido Ricci Muadi
• University Panamericana: Lic. Carlos Enrique Samayoa
• Mesoamerican University: Lic. Ángel Estuardo Barrios Izaguirre
• University San Pablo de Guatemala: Lic. Juan Manuel Díaz Durán
The election process is regulated in Article 251 of the Constitution of the Republic and in the Organic Law of Public Prosecutions.
For more information about Pro Justice Movement go to:
http://movimientoprojusticia.blogspot.com/
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