resident, prime minister, Cabinet; note--by custom,
the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim,
and the president of the legislature is a Shia Muslim

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic--Majlis
Alnuwab, French--Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and
commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)

Leaders:
Chief of State--Elias HARAWI (since 24 November 1989);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Salim AL-HUSS (since 24
November 1989)

Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along
largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of
individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and
economic considerations; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still
involved in occasional clashes

Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women
at age 21 with elementary education

Elections:
National Assembly--elections should be held every four years
but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972

Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members
and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000

Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
d'Affaires Suleiman RASSI; note--the former Lebanese Ambassador,
Dr. Abdallah Bouhabib, is loyal to Gen. Awn and has refused to
abandon his residence or relinquish his post; Chancery at 2560 28th
Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6300;
there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles;
US--Ambassador John T. MCCARTHY; Embassy at Avenue de Paris, Beirut
(mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut); telephone p961o 417774 or 415802,
415803, 402200, 403300

Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red
with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band

- Economy
Overview: Severe factional infighting in 1989 has been destroying physical
property, interrupting the established pattern of economic affairs, and
practically ending chances of restoring Lebanon's position as a Middle
Eastern entrepot and banking hub. The ordi