The nominating committees for the renewal of the courts have been formed, but the results of their work will reflect the alliances that will set the tone for the judiciary of the Judicial Branch for the period 2024-2029.
The above was expressed by organizations that oversee the process in question, considering that a diverse integration might yield positive results for the formation of the lists.
On June 21, the College of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala (Cang) elected its representatives. The next step is for Congress to summon the 37 commissioners, for each nominator, to take the oath and begin the assigned work.
Monitoring organizations link some commissioners with political operators, which is why they highlight the importance of academia and independent lawyers for the transparency of the process.
According to the organizations, potential political operators would influence the composition of the lists, in order to place like-minded people who would guarantee them impunity and friendly resolutions.
Alliances
The election of the Cang was the last step in forming the nominating committees. Some of its members estimated that alliances will be key.
José Urrutia, commissioner for the CSJ and elected by Aspa, said that they will look for the best profiles for magistrates, to promote judicial independence.
“Judges who protect and uphold due process in their lives and, above all, who work for the separation of powers, judicial independence, the Republic and our sovereignty. Good people,” said Urrutia.
He added that when it comes to alliances, they will look for commissioners with a sense of nationhood. “Those who love Guatemala and reject authoritarianism, statism, collectivism and the suppression of individual fundamental rights,” he stressed.
Gregorio Saavedra, commissioner for the CSJ and elected by the Unidad X la Justicia group, said that they will seek to incentivize qualified professionals.
“The proposal from the list was very verbal and direct, saying that what we need is to concentrate on the profile and create the conditions for the best professionals to apply,” he said.
Speaking regarding alliances, he indicated that the work should focus on those who seek to strengthen the justice sector. “Our work is aimed at trying to remove any kind of trap or limitation, so that there is an incentive for professionals with upright profiles,” he said.
Wilson López, a commissioner for the CSJ and elected by the Gremial Coalition, stressed that his role will focus on closely monitoring the work of the nominating committees.
“We will influence this process by supervising the other commissioners, just as we have done with the Cang. We hope, as elected officials, to do the best job possible and bring the best professionals to the courts,” he said.
Unlike the other two commissioners, López rules out any alliance. “For the moment, no. Our work will be individual and we will be objective in monitoring those power groups that entered, so that people who shouldn’t sneak in, so that there are no cronyisms,” he said.
An attempt was made to obtain the position of representatives elected by the other lists, but it was not possible.
Key moments
The first part of the process was concluded with the election of the last commissioners.
Carmen Aída Ibarra, from the Pro Justice Movement, believes that it is necessary for Congress to call for the swearing-in of the commissioners, and thus begin the work meetings, in which possible alliances can begin to be visualized.
“Now we will see what the dynamics are that will decide and what the work of the commissions is, and these dynamics will be determined by the members and their alliances,” he added.
These strategies will depend on the timing of the committees and on the supervision of the different committees, he said.
“The nominating agencies will have to create evaluation instruments, such as the candidate profile and grading table, operating rules and other decisions that will have an impact in the coming months,” he said.
Marielos Fuentes, from Guatemala Visible, considers it positive that there are no “steamrollers” in the nominating committees.
“They have been names or groups repeated during several nominating committees, but it is a great opportunity to have new faces. We see it as an opportunity and we believe that each one is an individual with civic responsibility and duty to fulfill,” he emphasized.
Guatemala Visible will have a tool on its website to measure the votes of each commissioner, in order to monitor them individually.
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