nce)

National holiday: Independence Day 11 August (1960)

Constitution: 22 December 1989 (suspended 3 December 1990);
Provisional National Charter 1 March 1991 is in effect (note - the
constitutional commission, which was drafting a new constitution to
submit to transitional parliament for ratification in April 1994,
failed to do so but expects to submit a new draft to the parliament
before the end of April 1995)

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: universal at age NA

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY, since 4 December 1990
(after seizing power on 3 December 1990 - transitional government's
mandate expires April 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Djimasta KOIBLA (since 9 April
1995)
cabinet: Council of State; appointed by the president on
recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Consultative Council (Conceil National Consultatif):
elections, formerly scheduled for April 1995, were postponed by mutual
agreement of the parties concerned until some time prior to April
1996; elections last held 8 July 1990; the National Consultative
Council was disbanded 3 December 1990 and replaced by the Provisional
Council of the Republic having 30 members appointed by President DEBY
on 8 March 1991; this, in turn, was replaced by a 57-member Higher
Transitional Council (Conseil Superieur de Transition) elected by a
specially convened Sovereign National Conference on 6 April 1993

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS),
former dissident group, Idriss DEBY, chairman
note: President DEBY, who promised political pluralism, a new
constitution, and free elections by April 1994, subsequently twice
postponed these initiatives, first until April 1995 and again until
sometime before April 1996; there are numerous dissident groups and at
least 45 opposition political parties

Other political or pressure groups: NA

Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mahamat Saleh AHMAT
chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Wash