Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court (which was formally established on 9 March 1994); has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Alpha Oumar KONARE (since 8 June 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (since March 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA May 2002); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Alpha Oumar KONARE reelected president; percent of vote - Alpha Oumar KONARE 95.9%, Mamadou DIABY 4.1%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 July and 3 August 1997 (next to be held in two rounds in 2002); note - much of the opposition boycotted the election election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ADEMA 130, PARENA 8, CDS 4, UDD 3, PDP 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA
; Block of Alternative for the
Renewal of Africa or BARA ; Democratic and Social
Convention or CDS ; Movement for the
Independence, Renaissance and Integration of Africa or MIRIA [Mohamed
Lamine TRAORE, Mouhamedou DICKO]; National Congress for Democratic
Initiative or CNID ; Party for Democracy and
Progress or PDP ; Party for National Renewal or
PARENA ;
Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT ; Rally for
Democracy and Progress or RDP ; Sudanese
Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE,
secretary general]; Union of Democratic Forces for Progress or UFDP
; Union for Democracy and
Development or UDD
Political pressure groups and leaders: Patriotic Movement of the
Ghanda Koye or MPGK; United Movement and Fronts of Azawad or MFUA
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH,
MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Cheick Oumar DIARRAH chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-2249, 939-8950 FAX: (202) 332-6603
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael RANNEBERGER embassy: Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V, Bamako mailing address: B. P. 34, Bamako telephone: 22 54 70 FAX: 22 37 12