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
parties are legal, including the Communist Party
Political pressure groups and leaders: the Islamic fundamentalist
party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed