Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
1987) was reelected for a five-year term by universal suffrage;
election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results
- President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
head of government: Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September
1989) was appointed by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab): elections last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%; seats - (163 total) RCD 144, MDS 10, others 9; note - the government changed the electoral code to guarantee that the opposition won seats
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally
Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of
Democratic Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political
parties are legal, including the Communist Party
Other political or pressure groups: the Islamic fundamentalist
party, An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB,
AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAS
(observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Azzouz ENNAIFER chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850