ayn, Al Qayrawan, Aryanah, Bajah, Banzart, Bin
'Arus, Jundubah, Madanin, Nabul, Qabis, Qafsah, Qibili, Safaqis,
Sidi Bu Zayd, Silyanah, Susah, Tatawin, Tawzar, Tunis, Zaghwan

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law;
some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in
joint session

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September
1989)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected
without opposition; percent of vote--Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 99%

Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis
al-Nuwaab (163 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%,
others 1.3%; seats by party--RCD 144, MDS 10, others 9; note--the
government changed the electoral code to guarantee that the
opposition won seats

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally
parties are legal, including the Communist Party

Political pressure groups and leaders: the Islamic fundamentalist
party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB,
AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, MINURCA, MINURSO, MIPONUH, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW,
OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Noureddine MEJDOUB
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robin L. RAPHEL
emba