ction results: results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese
Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without
opposition

note: Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga was
president from 24 November 1965 until forced into exile on 16 May
1997 when his government was overthrown militarily by Laurent Desire
KABILA, who immediately assumed governing authority; KABILA pledged
to hold elections by April 1999, but in December 1998 announced that
elections would be postponed until all foreign military forces
attempting to topple the government had withdrawn from the country;
KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and was succeeded by his son
Joseph KABILA

Legislative branch: a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly
established in August 2000

elections: NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly
were appointed by former President KABILA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Social Christian Party or
PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR
[leader NA]; Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA];
Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI
wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or
UFERI [Kouyoumba MUCHULI Mulembe]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA,
SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Faida MITIFU

chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691

FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
William Lacy SWING

embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa

mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828

telephone: [243] (12) 21804, 21807

FAX: [243] (88) 43805

Flag description: light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star
in the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow
five-pointed stars along the hoist side

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Economy

Economy - overview: The economy of the Democratic Republic of the
C