ppointed by the president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a
fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%,
Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch:

bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis
al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members
elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional
associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential
appointees; members serve six-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held on 24 October 2004 (next
to be held in October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held on 3
July 2005 (next to be held in July 2011)
election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3,
PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (due to boycott))

Judicial branch:

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders:

Al-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM]; Constitutional Democratic Rally
Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD (official
ruling party) [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI]; Democratic Forum
for Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben JAFAAR]; Green Party
for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; Liberal Social Party or PSL
[Mondher THABET]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail
BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA];
Progressive Democratic Party [Maya JERIBI]; Unionist Democratic
Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]; note - the Islamist party, Al Nahda
(Renaissance), is outlawed

Political pressure groups and leaders:

18 October Group [collective leadership]; Tunisian League for Human
Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]

International organization participation:

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA,
MONUC, NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge D'Affaires Tarek Ben
YOUSSEF
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Ave