Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: Congo
local long form: Republique Populaire du Congo
local short form: Congo
former: Congo/Brazzaville

Digraph: CF

Type: republic

Capital: Brazzaville

Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1
commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala,
Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha

Independence: 15 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Congolese National Day, 15 August (1960)

Constitution: new constitution approved by referendum March 1992

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pascal LISSOUBA (since August 1992);
election last held August 1992 (next to be held August 1997); results
- President Pascal LISSOUBA won with 61% of the vote
head of government: Prime Minister Jacques Joachim YHOMBI-OPANGO
(since 23 June 1993)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; named by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): election last held 3 October
1993; results - percentage vote by party NA; seats - (125 total) UPADS
64, URD/PCT 58, others 3
Senate: election last held 26 July 1992 (next to be held July 1998);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) UPADS 23,
MCDDI 14, RDD 8, RDPS 5, PCT 2, others 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: Congolese Labor Party (PCT), Denis
SASSOU-NGUESSO, president; Pan-African Union for Social Development
(UPADS), Pascal LISSOUBA, leader; Association for Democracy and
Development (RDD), Joachim Yhombi OPANGO, president; Congolese
Movement for Democracy and Integral Development (MCDDI), Bernard
KOLELAS, leader; Association for Democracy and Social Progress (RDPS),
Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president; Union of Democratic Forces
(UFD), David Charles GANAO, leader; Union for Development and Social
Progress (UDPS), Jean-Michael BOKAMBA-YANGOUMA, leader
note: Congo has many political parties of which these are among the
most important

Other political or pressure groups: Union of Congolese Socialist Youth
(UJSC); Congolese Trade Union Congress (CSC); Revolutionary Union of
Congolese Women (URFC); General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students
(UGEEC)

Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, IC