Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)
Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
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-Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 99%
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); five other political parties are legal,
including the Communist Party
Political pressure groups and leaders: the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed