day: National Day, 23 February (1984)

Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a
State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1
January 1984)

Legal system: based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic
Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas

Suffrage: none

Executive branch:
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri
Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5
October 1967); note-the sultan is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri
Baginda Sultan Haji HASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5
October 1967); note-the sultan is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by
the sultan; deals with executive matters
note: there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the
sultan) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members
appointed by the sultan) that deals with constitutional matters, and
the Council of Succession (members appointed by the sultan) that
determines the succession to the throne if the need arises
elections: none; the sultan is a traditional Islamic monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat
Megeri (a privy council that serves only in a consultative capacity;
NA seats; members appointed by the sultan)
elections: last held in March 1962
note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree
of the sultan; an elected Legislative Council is being considered as
part of constitutional reform, but elections are unlikely for several
years

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice and judges are sworn in
by the sultan for three-year terms

Political parties and leaders: Brunei United National Party
(inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei National Solidarity
Party (the first legal political party and now banned), Mohamad HATTA
bin Maji Zainal Abidin, secretary general; Brunei Peoples Party
(banned), Sheik A. M. AZAHARI, leader; Brunei National Democratic
Party or BNDP (deregistered), Haji Abdul LATIF bin Abdul Hamad,
president

International organization participation: APEC, ASEAN, C, CCC, ESCAP,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTrO

Diploma