Type of government: republic
Capital: Chisinau
Administrative divisions: previously divided into 40 rayons; new districts possible under new constitution in 1994
Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August 1991
Constitution: new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old
Soviet constitution of 1979
Legal system: based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and OSCE documents
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mircea SNEGUR (since 3 September 1990) was
elected for a four-year term by popular vote; election last held 8
December 1991 (next to be held NA December 1996); results - Mircea
SNEGUR ran unopposed and won 98.17% of vote; note - President SNEGUR
was named executive president by the Supreme Soviet on 3 September
1990 and was confirmed by popular election on 8 December 1991
head of government: Prime Minister Andrei SANGHELI (since 1 July
1992; reappointed 5 April 1994 after elections for new legislature)
was appointed by Parliament; First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU
(since NA April 1994)
cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on
recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament: elections last held 27 February 1994 (next to be held NA
1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (104 total)
PDAM 56, Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28, Peasants and Intellectuals
Bloc 11, FPCDM 9; note - seats as of June-July 1995 were as follows:
PDAM 45, PSM/UN 28, Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11, PRCM 11,
FPCDM 9
note: the comparative breakdown of seats by faction is approximate