urts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under
the CPA following the civil war; Islamic law will not apply to the
southern states

Suffrage:

17 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the
National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front
or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held
no later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
Agreement
election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president;
percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar
Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined
vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular
opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of
guarantees for a free and fair election
note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary
Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served
concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister,
and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed
president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for
the first time in March 1996

Legislative branch:

bicameral National Legislature consists of a Council of States (50
seats; members indirectly elected by state legislatures to serve
six-year terms) and a National Assembly (450 seats; members
presently appointed, but in the future 75% of members to be directly
elected and 25% elected in special or indirect elections; to serve
six-year terms)
elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held 2009)
election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointments
under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement

Judicial branch:

Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court;
National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National