ry ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for
women at age 21 with elementary education

Executive branch: chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since
24 November 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI
(since 23 October 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Issam FARES (since 23
October 2000) cabinet: and members of the National Assembly elections:
president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term; election
last held 15 October 1998 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister and
deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with
the National Assembly; by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian,
the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature
is a Shi'a Muslim election results: Emile LAHUD elected president;
National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against, 10 abstentions

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab
(Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by
popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to
serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 August and 3 September 2000
(next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party -
Muslim 57% (of which Sunni 25%, Sh'ite 25%, Druze 6%, Alawite less than
1%), Christian 43% (of which Maronite 23%); seats by party - Muslim 64
(of which Sunni 27, Sh'ite 27, Druze 8, Alawite 2), Christian 64 (of
which Maronite 34)

Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and
commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council
(called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws); Supreme
Council (hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed)

Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized
along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist,
consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by
religious, clan, and economic considerations

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation