National holiday: Russia Day, 12 June (1990)
Constitution: adopted 12 December 1993
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Vladimir Vladimirovich
PUTIN (acting president since 31 December 1999, president since 7
May 2000)
head of government: Premier Mikhail Mikhaylovich KASYANOV (since 7
May 2000); First Deputy Premier Aleksey Leonidovich KUDRIN (since 18
May 2000), Deputy Premiers Aleksey Vasilyevich GORDEYEV (since 20
May 2000), Viktor Borisovich KHRISTENKO (since 31 May 1999), Ilya
Iosifovich KLEBANOV (since 31 May 1999), Valentina Ivanovna
MATVIYENKO (since 22 September 1998)
cabinet: Ministries of the Government or "Government" composed of the premier and his deputies, ministers, and other agency heads; all are appointed by the president
note: there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a Security Council also reports directly to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 March 2000 (next to be held NA 2004); note - no vice president; if the president dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is impeached, or resigns, the premier succeeds him; the premier serves as acting president until a new presidential election is held, which must be within three months; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the Duma
election results: Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN elected president; percent of vote - PUTIN 52.9%, Gennadiy Aadreyevich ZYUGANOV 29.2%, Grigoriy Alekseyevich YAVLINSKIY 5.8%