Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 1 December (1958) (proclamation of the republic)
Constitution: passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995
Legal system: based on French law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ange PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Michel GBEZERA-BRIA (since January 1997) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections : president elected by popular vote for a 6-year term; election last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held October 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ange PATASSE elected president; percent of vote - PATASSE 52.45%, Abel GOUMBA 45.62%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (85 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held October 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MLPC 34, RDC 13, PLD 7, FPP 7, ADP 6, PSD 3, CN 3, MDREC 1, PRC 1, FC 1, MESAN 1, independents supporting David DACKO 6, independents 2 note: the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together they are called the Congress or Congres
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress or
ADP [Tchapka BREDE]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre
KOLINGBA]; Central African Republican Party or PRC; Civic Forum or FC
[Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Movement for the Renaissance and
Evolution of Central Africa or MDREC [Joseph BENDOUNGA]; Liberal
Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for the
Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of the
president, Ange Felix PATASSE]; Movement for Democracy and Development
or MDD [David DACKO]; National Convention or CN [David GALIAMBO];
Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD [Enoch Derant LAKOUE]; Social Evolution Movement of Black
Africa or MESAN [Prosper LAVODRAMA and Joseph NGBANGADIBO]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC,
CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC
(observer), UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO