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 Petru LUCINSCHI (since 15 January 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Ion CIUBUC (since 15 January 1997); First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU (since NA April 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 1996; runoff election 1 December 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament election results: Petru LUCINSCHI ran against Mircea SNEGUR and was elected president; percent of vote - LUCINSCHI 54%, SNEGUR 46%; Prime Minister Ion CIUBU was appointed by the president 15 January 1997 and was elected by a parliamentary vote of 75-15 on 24 January 1997
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (104 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections : last held 27 February 1994 (next to be held NA February 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - 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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Popular Front or FPCDM (formerly Moldovan Popular Front) [Iurie ROSCA, chairman]; Socialist Unity Faction or US of the Socialist Party of Moldova or PSM; Social Democratic Party of Moldova or PSDM [Anatol TARAN, chairman]; Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova or PDAM [Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman]; Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc [Lidia ISTRATI, chairwoman]; Liberal Party of Modova or PLM [Mircea RUSU, chairman]; Socialist Party of Moldova or PSM [Valeriu SENIC and Victor MOREV, cochairmen]; Party of Rivival and Conciliation of Moldova or PRCM [Mircea SNEGUR, chairman]; Moldovan Party of Democratic Forces or PFDM [Valeriu MATEI, chairman]; Party for Social Progress or PPSM [Eugen SOBOR, chairman]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Civic Unity [Vladimir SOLONARI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: The Ecology Movement of Moldova
or EMM [Alecu RENITSA, chairman]; The Christian Democratic League of
Women of Moldova or CDLWM [Lidia ISTRATI, chairwoman]; National
Christian Party of Moldova or NCPM [V. NIKU, leader]; The Peoples
Movement Gagauz Khalky or GKh [S. GULGAR, leader]; The Democratic
Party of Gagauzia or DPG [G. SAVOSTIN, chairman]; The Alliance of
Working People of Moldova or AWPM [G. POLOGOV, president]; Liberal
Convention of Moldova (now the Liberal Party); Association of Victims
of Repression [Alexander USATIUC]; Christian Democratic Youth
Organization [Valeriu BARBA]; National Youth League [Valeriu
STRELETS]; Union of Youth of Moldova [Petru GAVTON]
International organization participation: BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae TAU chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John Todd STEWART embassy : Strada Alexei Mateevicie #103, Chisinau 277014 mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address - American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080 telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72, RNX (plus extension) FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44