ndouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al
Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (Al
Mahdiyah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul
(Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana
(Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar),
Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: Independence 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 Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17
November 1999)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime
minister appointed by the president

election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a
third term without opposition; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN
ALI nearly 100%

Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis
al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)

elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 92%; seats by
party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2; note -
reforms enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats; the
opposition increased number of seats from 19 to 34

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH];
Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel
Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official
ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement
of Democratic Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular Unity
Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj AMOR]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU
[Abderrahmane TLILI]

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, I