Constitution: 1 January 1981
Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Kuniwo NAKAMURA (since 1 January 1993) and Vice President Tommy E. REMENGESAU Jr. (since 1 January 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Kuniwo NAKAMURA (since 1 January 1993) and Vice President Tommy E. REMENGESAU Jr. (since 1 January 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet elections: president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 11 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000) election results: Kuniwo NAKAMURA reelected president; percent of vote - Kuniwo NAKAMURA 64%, Chief Ibedul Yutuka GIBBONS 36%; Tommy E. REMENGESAU Jr. reelected vice president; percent of vote - Tommy E. REMENGESAU Jr. 69%, Kione ISECHAL 31%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of the Senate (14 seats; members elected by popular vote on a population basis to serve four-year terms) and the House of Delegates (16 seats - one from each state; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000); House of Delegates - last held 11 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; House of Delegates - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; National Court; Court of Common Pleas
Political parties and leaders: Palau Nationalist Party [Polycarp
BASILIUS]
International organization participation: ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA chancery: 1150 18th Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 452-6814 FAX: (202) 452-6281
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD (resident in Manila); Charge d'Affaires Allen E. NUGENT embassy: address NA, Koror mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940 telephone: 488-2920, 2990 FAX: 488-2911