Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)

Constitution:

ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995

Legal system:

based on civil law; currently transitional mix of national and
regional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since August 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994
constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and
approved by the House of People's Representatives
elections: president elected by the House of People's
Representatives for a six-year term (eligible for a second term);
election last held 9 October 2007 (next to be held in October 2013);
prime minister designated by the party in power following
legislative elections
election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of
vote by the House of People's Representatives - 79%

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation (or upper
chamber responsible for interpreting the constitution and
federal-regional issues) (108 seats; members are chosen by state
assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's
Representatives (or lower chamber responsible for passing
legislation) (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular
vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 327,
CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1,
others 6, undeclared 2
note: some seats still remain vacant as detained opposition MPs did
not take their seats

Judicial branch:

Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of the
Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and
appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other
federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's
Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal
Judicial Administrative Council)

Political parties and leaders:

Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz People's
Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for
Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [AYELE Chamisso] (awarded to
AYELE by the National Electoral Board