Legal system: a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984) head of government: Prime Minister Cheikel Afia Ould Mohamed KHOUNA (since 16 November 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held NA December 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected with 90.9% of the vote
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 17 up for election every two years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (79 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 17 April 1998 (next to be held NA 2001); National Assembly - last held 11 and 18 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRDS 71, AC 1, independents and other 7
Judicial branch: three-tier system: lower, appeals, and Supreme Court
(Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould
BOULKHEIR]; Assembly for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI
BABA]; Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party)
; National Avant-Garde
Party or PAN ; Popular Social and Democratic
Union or UPSD ; Union of Democratic
Forces-New Era or UFD/NE
note: parties legalized by constitution passed 12 July 1991, however,
politics continue to be tribally based
Political pressure groups and leaders: General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]; B'athists; Arab nationalists; Islamists
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT (associate),
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member),
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmed Ben Khalifa BEN JIDDOU chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 232-5700 FAX: (202) 319-2623
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Timberlake FOSTER embassy: Rue Abdallahi Ould Oubeid, Nouakchott mailing address: B. P. 222, Nouakchott telephone: (2) 526-60, 526-63 FAX: (2) 515-92