Constitution: 12 July 1979
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President (Beretitenti)
Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994) was elected by popular vote;
note - the House of Assembly chooses the presidential candidates
from among their members and then those candidates compete in a
general election; election last held 30 September 1994 (next to be
held by NA 1999); results - Teburoro TITO 51.2%, Tewareka TENTOA
18.3%, Roniti TEIWAKI 16.0%, Peter Taberannang TIMEON 14.5%; Vice
President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October
1994) was appointed by the president
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president from among the
members of the House of Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral
House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu): elections last held 22
July 1994 (next to be held by NA 1999); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (40 total, 39 elected) Maneaban Te Mauri 13,
National Progressive Party 7, independents 19
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges at all levels are
appointed by the president; High Court, judges at all levels are
appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Party, Teatao
TEANNAKI; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO; New Movement
Party, leader NA; Liberal Party, Tewareka TENTOA; Maneaban Te Mauri
Party, Roniti TEIWAKI
note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties
in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups
because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party
structures
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US: Kiribati does not have an embassy
in the US
US diplomatic representation: the US does not have an embassy in
Kiribati; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati