Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987) head of government : Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results : President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected without opposition; percent of vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (163 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%; seats by party - 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), Ismail BOULAHIA; five other political
parties are legal, including the Communist Party
Political pressure groups and leaders: the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), 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, IHO (pending member),
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNTAES, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Azouz ENNIFAR chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] (1) 782-566 FAX: [216] (1) 789-719
Flag description: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam