National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
Constitution: 7 June 1992
Legal system: French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (since 16 March 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed ABDOU (since 27 December 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; election last held 16 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2001); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim elected president; share of vote - 64%
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (15 seats; members selected by regional councils for six-year terms) and a Federal Assembly or Assemblee Federale (43 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections : last held 1 and 8 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RND 39, RND candidate running as independent 1, FNJ 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme), two members are appointed by the president, two members are elected by the Federal Assembly, one by the Council of each island, and former presidents of the republic
Political parties and leaders: Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim], party of the government; Front National pour la Justice or FNJ, Islamic party in opposition note: under a new constitution ratified in October 1996, a two party system was established; President Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim called for all parties to dissolve and join him in creating the RND; the Constitution stipulates that only parties that win six seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are permitted to be in opposition, but if no party accomplishes that the second most successful party will be in opposition; in the elections of December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AL, CCC,
ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) Charge d'Affaires ad interim Mahmoud M. ABOUD (ambassador to the US and Canada) chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros to the United Nations, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010 FAX : [1] (212) 983-4712