ependence Day, 1 January (1956)

Constitution:
12 April 1973; suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim
constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June
1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially
suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR; under the CPA,
Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of
Southern Sudan signed December 2005

Legal system:
based on English common law and Shari'a law; as of 20 January 1991,
the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Shari'a law in
the northern states; Shari'a law applies to all residents of the
northern states regardless of their religion; some separate
religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under
the CPA following the civil war; Shari'a law will not apply to the
southern states

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the
National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front
or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held
no later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
Agreement
election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president;
percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar
Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined
vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular
opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of
guarantees for a free and fair election
note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary
Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served
concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister,