Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state : President Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (previously elected chairman of the Government Council 10 March 1992, Council has since been disbanded; previously elected chairman of Parliament 11 October 1992; elected president 5 November 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (previously elected chairman of the Government Council 10 March 1992, Council has since been disbanded; previously elected chairman of Parliament 11 October 1992; elected president 5 November 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 5 November 1995 (next to be held NA April 2001) election results: Eduard SHEVARDNADZE elected president; percent of vote - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 74%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats; members are elected to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 5 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 2000) election results : percent of vote by party - CUG 24%, NDP 8%, All Georgia Revival Union 7%, all other parties received less than 5% each; seats by party - NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Citizens Union of Georgia or CUG
[Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, Zurab ZHVANIA, general secretary]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [Irina SARISHVILI-CHANTARIA]; United
Republican Party, umbrella organization for parties including the GPF
and the Charter 1991 Party [Notar NATADZE, chairman]; Georgian Popular
Front or GPF [Nodar NATADZE, chairman]; Charter 1991 Party [Tedo
PAATASHVILI]; Georgian Social Democratic Party or GSDP [Guram
MUCHAIDZE, secretary general]; All Georgia Union for Revival [Alsan
ABASHIDZE]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Irakli SHENGELAYA];
Democratic Georgia Union or DGU [Avtandil MARGIANI]; National
Independence Party or NIP [Irakliy TSERETELI, chairman]; Georgian
Monarchists' Party or GMP [Temur ZHORZHOLIANI]; Greens Party; Agrarian
Party of Georgia or APG [Roin LIPARTELIANI]; United Communist Party of
Georgia or UCP [Panteleimon GIORGADZE, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: supporters of ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA (deceased 1 January 1994) remain a source of opposition; separatist elements in the breakaway region of Abkhazia
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS,
EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, 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 Tedo JAPARIDZE chancery: (temporary) Suite 424, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 393-5959 FAX : [1] (202) 393-4537
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William H. COURTNEY embassy: #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi 380026 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone : 995-32-989-967 or 995-32-933-803 (operator assisted) FAX: tie-line FAX 997-0200; 933-759 or 938-951
Flag description: maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below