roved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in
personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more
or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male
descendants at age 21

note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996,
naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but
have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the
first time

Executive branch: chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al
Sabah (since 31 December 1977)

head of government: Prime Minister and Crown Prince SAAD
al-Abdallah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February 1978); First Deputy
Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October
1992); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamud Al Sabah (since
NA) and MUHAMMAD KHALID al-Hamed Al Sabah (since NA)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
approved by the monarch

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma
(50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 3 July 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 50;
note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the
National Assembly

Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: none; formation of political parties
is illegal

Political pressure groups and leaders: several political groups act
as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists,
and secular leftists and nationalists

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant)

chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702

FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
James A. LAROCCO

embassy: Bayan, near the Bayan palac