Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993
Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993) was
elected for a five-year term by the National Parliament; election
last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since 12
December 1994) was appointed by the president
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president on recommendation of
the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Parliament (Narodni Rada): elections last held 30
September-1 October 1994 (next to be held by October 1998); results
- HZDS 35%, SDL 10.4%, Hungarian coalition (Hungarian Christian
Democrats, Hungarian Civic Party, Coexistence) 10.2%, KDH 10.1%, DU
8.6%, ZRS 7.3%, SNS 5.4%; seats - (150 total) governing coalition 83
(HZDS 61, ZRS 13, SNS 9), opposition 67 (SDL 18, Hungarian coalition
17, KDH 17, DU 15)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National
Parliament
Political parties and leaders: Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
(HZDS), Vladimir MECIAR, chairman; Common Choice/Party of the
Democratic Left (SDL), Peter WEISS, chairman; Hungarian Christian
Democrats, Vojtech BUGAR; Hungarian Civic Party; Coexistence, Miklos
DURAY, chairman; Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Jan
CARNOGURSKY; Democratic Union (DU), Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman;
Association of Slovak Workers (ZRS), Jan LUPTAK, chairman; Slovak
National Party (SNS), Jan SLOTA, chairman
Other political or pressure groups: Green Party; Social Democratic
Party of Slovakia; Slovak Christian Union
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS,
BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarset, Intelsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM
III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner),
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Branislav LICHARDUS
chancery: (temporary) Suite 380, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 965-5161
FAX: [1] (202) 965-5166