Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court, which also audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981) was
elected for a seven-year term by universal suffrage; election last
held 21 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 2000); results -
Abdou DIOUF (PS) 58.4%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 32.03%, other 9.57%
head of government: Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991)
was appointed by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 9 May 1993 (next to be held NA May 1998); results - PS 70%, PDS 23%, other 7%; seats - (120 total) PS 84, PDS 27, LD-MPT 3, Let Us Unite Senegal 3, PIT 2, UDS-R 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS), President
Abdou DIOUF; Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), Abdoulaye WADE;
Democratic League-Labor Party Movement (LD-MPT), Dr. Abdoulaye
BATHILY; Independent Labor Party (PIT), Amath DANSOKHO; Senegalese
Democratic Union-Renewal (UDS-R), Mamadou Puritain FALL; Let Us
Unite Senegal (coalition of African Party for Democracy and
Socialism and National Democratic Rally); other small uninfluential
parties
Other political or pressure groups: students; teachers; labor;
Muslim Brotherhoods
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III,
UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Mansour SECK chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540, 0541
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Mark JOHNSON embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 23 42 96, 23 34 24 FAX: [221] 22 29 91