iet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

Constitution: new constitution adopted 8 December 1992

Legal system: evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent
judicial system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24
March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)

head of government: Prime Minister Otkir SULTONOV (since 21
December 1995)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with
approval of the Supreme Assembly

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 9 January 2000 (next to be held NA January 2005);
note - extension of President KARIMOV's original term for an
additional five years overwhelmingly approved - 99.6% of total vote
in favor - by national referendum held 27 March 1995; prime minister
and deputy ministers appointed by the president

election results: Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of
vote - Islom KARIMOV 91.9%, Abdulkhafiz DZHALALOV 4.2%

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 5 December and 19 December 1999 (next to be
held NA December 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NDP 48, Self-Sacrificers Party 34, Fatherland Progress Party 20,
Adolat Social Democratic Party 11, MTP 10, citizens' groups 16,
local government 110, vacant 1

note: not all seats in the last Supreme Assembly election were
contested; all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President
KARIMOV

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the
president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic
Party [Anwar JURABAYEV, first secretary]; Democratic National
Rebirth Party (Milly Tiklanish) or MTP [Aziz KAYUMOV, chairman];
Fatherland Progress Party [Anwar Z. YOLDASHEV]; People's Democratic
Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Abdulkhafiz JALOLOV, first
secretary]; Self-Sacrificers Party or Fidokorlar National Democratic
Party [Ahtam TURSUNOV, first secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Birlik (Unity) Movement
[Abdurakhim PULAT, chairman]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party
[Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December 1992; Human Rights
Society of Uzbekistan [Abdumanob PULAT, ch