Administrative divisions: 34 counties (opstinas, singular—opstina) Berovo, Bitola, Brod, Debar, Delcevo, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Murgasevo, Negotino, Ohrid, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Resen, Skopje-Centar, Skopje-Cair, Skopje-Karpos, Skopje-Kisela Voda, Skopje-Gazi Baba, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Sveti Nikole, Tetovo, Titov Veles, Valandovo, Vinica note: in September 1996, the Macedonian Assembly passed legislation changing the territorial division of the country; names of the 123 new municipalities are not yet available
Independence: 17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: 8 September
Constitution: adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Kiro GLIGOROV (since 27 January 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Ljubco GEORGIEVSKI (since 30
November 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the majority vote of all
the deputies in the Assembly; note—cabinet formed by the government
coalition parties VMRO-DPMNE, DA, and DPA
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 16 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1999)
election results: Kiro GLIGOROV elected president; percent of
vote—Kiro GLIGOROV 78.4%
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly or Sobranje (120 seats—85
members are elected by popular vote; 35 members come from lists of
candidates submitted by parties based on the percentage that parties
gain from the overall vote; all serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 18 October and 1 November 1998 (next to be held
NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—VMRO
49, SDSM 27, PDP 14, DA 13, DPA 11, LDP 4, Socialists 1, Roma Party 1
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, judges are elected by the
Judicial Council; Judicial Court of the Republic, judges are elected
by the Judicial Council
Political parties and leaders: Social-Democratic Alliance of
president]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
Organization—Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or