Moutsamoudou

Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Constitution: 20 October 1996

Legal system: French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since
6 May 1999); note - the interim government of President Tajiddine
Ben Said MASSOUNDE, which had assumed power on 6 November 1998 upon
the death of President Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim, was overthrown in a
bloodless coup on 30 April 1999

head of government: Prime Minister Hamada MADI (since late November
2000)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 6 and 16 March 1996 (next to be held NA); prime
minister appointed by the president

note: President AZALI claimed a one-year term at the time of the
coup; but elections, promised for spring 2000, were not held

election results: results of the last presidential election before
the coup were: Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim elected president; percent of
vote - 64.3%

Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (15
seats: five from each island); members selected by regional councils
for six-year terms) and a Federal Assembly or Assemblee Federale (43
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms);
note - the Federal Assembly was dissolved following the coup of 30
April 1999

elections: Federal Assembly - last held 1 and 8 December 1996 (next
to be held NA)

election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - RND 39, FNJ 3, independent 1

note: the constitution stipulates that only parties that win six
seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are permitted
to be in opposition, but if no party accomplishes that, the second
most successful party will be in opposition; in the elections of
December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members
appointed by the president, two members elected by the Federal
Assembly, one elected by the Council of each island, and others are
former presidents of the republic)

Political parties and leaders: Front National pour la Justice or FNJ
(Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed Abdallah MOHAMED, Ahmed
ABOUBACAR, Soidiki M'BAPANOZA]; Rassemblement National pour le
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