National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Constitution: 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998
Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal, but noncompulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. General Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR
(since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad
TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President (Police) Maj.
General George KONGOR AROP (since NA February 1994); note—the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lt. General Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR
(since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad
TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President (Police) Maj.
General George KONGOR AROP (since NA February 1994); note—the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note—President
al-BASHIR's government is dominated by members of Sudan's National
Islamic Front (NIF), a fundamentalist political organization formed
from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1986; in 1998, the NIF created the
National Congress as its legal front; the National Congress/NIF
dominates much of Khartoum's overall domestic and foreign policies;
President al-BASHIR named a new cabinet on 20 April 1996 which
includes members of the National Islamic Front, serving and retired
military officers, and civilian technocrats; on 8 March 1998, he
reshuffled the cabinet and brought in several former rebel and
opposition members as ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 6-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR elected president;
percent of vote—Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR 75.7%; note—about forty
other candidates ran for president
note: al-BASHIR, as chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council
for National Salvation (RCC), assumed power on 30 June 1989 and
served concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime
minister, and minister of defense until 16 October 1993 when he was
appointed president by the RCC; upon its dissolution on 16 October
1993, the RCC's executive and legislative powers were devolved to
the president and the Transitional National Assembly (TNA), Sudan's
appointed legislative body, which has since been replaced by the
National Assembly which was elected in March 1996
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (400 seats; 275 elected by popular vote, 125 elected by a supraassembly of interest groups known as the National Congress) elections: last held 6-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: NA; the March 1996 elections were held on a nonparty basis; parties are banned in the new National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts
Political parties and leaders: political parties were banned following 30 June 1989 coup, however, political "associations" are allowed under a new law drafted in 1998 and implemented on 1 January
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Islamic Front or
its legal front)
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB,
AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO