uffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October
1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since
12 October 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1
October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA
(since 12 October 1994); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of
the House of Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
note - the House of Assembly chooses the presidential candidates from
among their members and then those candidates compete in a general
election; election last held 30 September 1994 (next to be held by NA
September 1998); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Teburoro TITO elected president; percent of vote -
Teburoro TITO 51.2%, Tewareka TENTOA 18.3%, Roniti TEIWAKI 16.0%,
Peter Taberannang TIMEON 14.5%

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni
Maungatabu (41 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio
member, and one nominated to represent Banaba; members serve four-year
terms)
elections : last held 22 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Maneaban Te Mauri 13, National Progressive Party 7, independents 19

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges at all levels are appointed
by the president; High Court, judges at all levels are appointed by
the president

Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Party, Teatao
TEANNAKI; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO; New Movement
Party, leader NA; Liberal Party, Tewareka TENTOA; Maneaban Te Mauri
Party, Roniti TEIWAKI
note : there is no tradition of formally organized political parties
in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups
because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party
structures

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US: Kiribati does not have an embassy
in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not ha