Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (previously elected chairman of the Government Council 10 March 1992; Council has since been disbanded; previously elected chairman of Parliament 11 October 1992; president since 26 November 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: of the Government Council 10 March 1992; Council has since been disbanded; previously elected chairman of Parliament 11 October 1992; president since 26 November 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers election results: Eduard SHEVARDNADZE reelected president; percent of vote - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 80% elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 9 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as Parliament) or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - CUG 41.85%, AGUR 25.65%, IWSG 7.8%, all other parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - CUG 130, AGUR 58, IWSG 15, Abkhaz (government-in-exile) deputies 12, independents 17, other 3 elections: last held 31 October and 14 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's recommendation); Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Citizen's Union of Georgia or CUG
[Zarab ZHVANIA]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian
United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Greens [Giorgi
GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE];
Labor Party [Salva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Irina
SARISHVILI-CHANTURIA]; New National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New
Rightists [Levaii GACHECHILADZE]; Republican Party [David BERDZENISHVILI];
"Revival" Union Party or AGUR [Alsan ABASHIDZE]; Socialist Party or SPG
[Irakli MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Georgian independent deputies from
Abkhazia (Abkhaz faction in Georgian Parliament); separatist elements in
the breakaway region of Abkhazia; supporters of the late ousted President
Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA remain a source of opposition
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Levan
MIKELADZE chancery: Suite 300, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20009 FAX: [1] (202) 393-6060 telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard MILES embassy: #25 Antoneli Street, use embassy street address telephone: Flag description: maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below
Economy Georgia