Legal system: based on French law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Anicet Georges DOLOGUELE (since
January 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held NA 1999);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE elected president; percent of
vote—PATASSE 52.45%, Abel GOUMBA 45.62%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms; note—there were 85 seats in the National Assembly
before the 1998 election)
elections: last held 22-23 November and NA December 1998 (next to be
held NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party—MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD
9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%,
independents 6%; seats by party—MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 10, FPP 7, PSD
5, ADP 4, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7;
note—results of election are being contested
note: the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional
Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together
they are called the Congress or Congres
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and
of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Movement for Democracy and
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC,
CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC
(observer), OPCW, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henri KOBA chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. PERRY embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui
Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band