Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Mario Vinicio CEREZO
Arevalo (since 14 January 1986); Vice President Roberto CARPIO Nicolle
(since 14 January 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DCG),
Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo;
National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge Carpio Nicolle;
National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario Sandoval Alarcon;
Social Action Movement (MAS), Jorge Serrano Elias;
Revolutionary Party (PR) in coalition with National Renewal Party (PNR),
Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario Solarzano Martinez;
National Authentic Center (CAN), Mario David Garcia;
United Anti-Communist Party (PUA), Leonel Sisniega;
Emerging Movement for Harmony (MEC), Louis Gordillo;
Democratic Party of National Cooperation (PDCN), Adan Fletes;
Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar Rivas;
Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel Giron
Suffrage: universal at age 18, compulsory for literates, voluntary for illiterates
Elections:
President—last held on 3 December 1985 (next to be held 3 November 1990);
results—Mario Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo (DCG) 38.7%, Jorge Carpio
Nicolle (UCN) 20.2%, Jorge Serrano Elias (PDCN/PR) 14.8%;