Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Constitution: 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989
Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic law; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
Chief of State and Head of Government: President Lt. General Umar
Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); prior to 16 October
1993, BASHIR served concurrently as Chief of State, Chairman of the
RCC, Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence (since 30 June 1989);
First Vice President Major General al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH (since 19
October 1993); Second Vice President (Police) Maj. General George
KONGOR (since NA February 1994); note - upon its dissolution on 16
October 1993, the RCC's executive and legislative powers were devolved
to the President and the Transitional National Assembly (TNA), Sudan's
appointed legislative body
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president; note - on 30 October
1993, President BASHIR announced a new, predominantly civilian
cabinet, consisting of 20 federal ministers, most of whom retained
their previous cabinet positions; on 9 February 1995, he abolished
three ministries and redivided their portfolios to create several new
ministries; these changes increased National Islamic Front presence at
the ministerial level and consolidated its control over the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs; President BASHIR's government is dominated by
members of Sudan's National Islamic Front, a fundamentalist political
organization formed from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1986; front leader
Hasan al-TURABI controls Khartoum's overall domestic and foreign
policies
Legislative branch: appointed 300-member Transitional National
Assembly; officially assumes all legislative authority for Sudan until
the proposed 1995 resumption of national elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Special Revolutionary Courts
Political parties and leaders: none; banned following 30 June 1989
coup
Other political or pressure groups: National Islamic Front, Hasan
al-TURABI