Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders: Chief of State—President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party
(RCD), President Ben Ali (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic
Socialists (MDS), Ahmed Mestiri; five other political parties are legal,
including the Communist Party
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: President—last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results—Gen. Zine el Abidine Ben Aliwas reelected without opposition;