Legislative branch:
unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 16 November 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 49.8%, PRS 25.3%, PRID 7.5%, PND 2.4%, AD 1.4%, other parties 13.6%; seats by party - PAIGC 67, PRS 28, PRID 3, PND 1, AD 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at more than $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases valued at less than $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)
Political parties and leaders:
African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde
or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Democratic Alliance or AD [Victor
MANDINGA]; Democratic Social Front or FDS [Rafael BARBOSA];
Electoral Union or UE [Joaquim BALDE]; Guinea-Bissau Civic
Forum/Social Democracy or FCGSD [Antonieta Rosa GOMES];
Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party or PDG; Guinea-Bissau Socialist
Democratic Party or PDSG [Serifo BALDE]; Labor and Solidarity Party
or PST [Lancuba INDJAI]; New Democracy Party or PND; Party for
Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Party for Renewal
and Progress or PRP; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA];
Progress Party or PP; Republican Party for Independence and
Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES]; Union of Guinean Patriots or
UPG [Francisca VAZ]; Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]; United
Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB);
United Popular Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party or
PUSD [Frnacisco FADUL]
Political pressure groups and leaders: