ns

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR
(since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4
August 2005), Second 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 Lt. Gen. Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR
(since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4
August 2005), Second Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20
September 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
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: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 13-23 December 2000 (next to be held NA)
election results: Field Marshall 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:
unicameral National Assembly (360 seats; 270 popularly elected, 90
elected by supra assembly of interest groups known as National
Congress; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held NA)
election results: NCP 355, others 5

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts

Political parties and leaders:
the government allows political "associations" under a 1998 law
revised in 2000; to obtain government approval parties must accept
the constitution and refrain from advocating or using violence
against the regime; approved parties include the National Congress
Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR], Popular Natio