Legal provisions for mandatory referendums at national level

Political Constitution of Guatemala (Constitución Política de la República de Guatemala) (1985 with amendments in 1993)

Article 173. Referendum Procedure.

Political decisions of special significance will have to be submitted to the referendum procedure involving all citizens.

The referendum will be called by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on the initiative of the President of the Republic orthe Congress of the Republic, which will determine precisely the question orquestions to be submitted to the citizens.

The Constitutional Electoral Law shall regulate what is relative to this institution. 

Article 280. Amendments by the Congress and Referendum [consulta popular].

For any other constitutional amendment, it will be necessary that the Congress of the Republic approve it with an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of deputies. Amendments will not enter into effect unless they are ratified through a referendum referred to in Article 173 of this Constitution.

If the result of the referendum were to ratify the amendment, the latter will enter into effect 60 days after the Supreme Electoral Court announced the result of the referendum. 

Article 19. Belize [Belice].

The Executive will have the power [facultado] to take those measures that would tend to resolve the situation of the rights of Guatemala with respect to Belize, in accordance with the national interests. Any definitive agreement will have to be submitted by the Congress of the Republic to the referendum procedure provided in Article 173 of the Constitution. […]