Executive branch:
chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Charles Konan BANNY (since 7
December 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(no term limits); election last held 26 October 2000 (next to be
held by October 2006, after the government postponed the election);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Laurent GBAGBO elected president; percent of vote
- Laurent GBAGBO 59.4%, Robert GUEI 32.7%, Francis WODIE 5.7%, other
2.2%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats;
members are elected in single- and multi-district elections by
direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: elections last held 10 December 2000 with by-elections on
14 January 2001 (next to be held by 31 October 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FPI 96, PDCI-RDA 94, RDR 5, PIT 4, other 2, independents 22, vacant 2
note: a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election
in 2006
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consists of four chambers: Judicial
Chamber for criminal cases, Audit Chamber for financial cases,
Constitutional Chamber for judicial review cases, and Administrative
Chamber for civil cases; there is no legal limit to the number of
members
Political parties and leaders:
Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Eg Theodore MEL]; Democratic
Party of Cote d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally or PDCI-RDA [Henri
Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent GBAGBO]; Ivorian
Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Rally of the Republicans or
RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace or UDPCI
[Paul Akoto YAO]; over 20 smaller parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC,
OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional),
WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300 FAX: [1] (202) 244-3088
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS
embassy: Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan
mailing address: B. P. 1866, Abidjan 01
telephone: [225] 20 21 09 79
FAX: [225] 20 22 32 59
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and
green; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the
colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also
similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white,
and red; design was based on the flag of France
Economy Cote d'Ivoire