1990); since then, it has declined substantially

*Iraq, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Iraq
conventional short form:
Iraq
local long form:
Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form:
Al Iraq
Digraph:
IZ
Type:
republic
Capital:
Baghdad
Administrative divisions:
18 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al
Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil,
Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din,
Wasit
Independence:
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Constitution:
22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (interim Constitution); new
constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted
Legal system:
based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system
elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)
Political parties and leaders:
Ba'th Party
Other political or pressure groups:
political parties and activity severely restricted; possibly some opposition
to regime from disaffected members of the regime, Army officers, and Shi'a
religious and Kurdish ethnic dissidents; the Green Party
(government-controlled)
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
National Assembly:
last held on 1 April 1989 (next to be held NA); results - Sunni Arabs 53%,
Shi'a Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Christians 2% est.; seats - (250 total) number
of seats by party NA
note:
in northern Iraq, a "Kurdish Assembly" was elected in May 1992 and calls for
Kurdish self-determination within a federated Iraq
Executive branch:
president, vice president, chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council,
vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, prime minister, first
deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani)
Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation

*Iraq, Government

Leaders:
Chief of State:
President SADDAM Husayn (since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha Muhyi
al-Din MA'RUF (since 21 April 1974); Vice President Taha Yasin RAMADAN
(since 23 March 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Muhammad Hamza al-ZUBAYDI (since 13 September 1991); Deputy
Prime Minister Tariq 'AZIZ (since NA 1979)
Member of:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FA