National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
Constitution: 31 March 1995, passed by referendum
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December
1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Nassour Guelengdouksia OUAIDOU
(since 16 May 1997)
cabinet: Council of State appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms; if no candidate receives at least 50% of the total vote, the
two candidates receiving the most votes must stand for a second
round of voting; last held 2 June and 11 July 1996 (next to be held
NA 2001); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: in the first round of voting none of the 15
candidates received the required 50% of the total vote; percent of
vote, first round—Lt. Gen. Idress DEBY 47.8%; percent of vote,
second round—Lt. Gen. DEBY 69.1%, Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE 30.9%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (125 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); replaces
the Higher Transitional Council or the Conseil Superieur de
Transition
elections: National Assembly—last held in two rounds on 5 January
and 23 February 1997, (next to be held NA 2001); in the first round
of voting some candidates won clear victories by receiving 50% or
more of the vote; where that did not happen, the two highest scoring
candidates stood for a second round of voting
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—MPS
65, URD 29, UNDR 15, RDP 3, others 13
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts;
Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders: Patriotic Salvation Movement or
the party in power and the party of the president); National Union
mid-1996 Chad had about 60 political parties, of which these are the
most prominent in the new National Assembly
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC,
CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MINURCA, NAM,
OAU, OIC, OPCW, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hassaballah Abdelhadi Ahmat SOUBIANE chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009