ent type: republic

National capital: Chisinau

Administrative divisions: previously divided into 40 rayons; new
districts possible under new constitution of 1994

Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August 1991

Constitution: new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old
Soviet constitution of 1979

Legal system: based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews
legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution;
it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but
accepts many UN and OSCE documents

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state : President Petru LUCINSCHI (since 15 January 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Ion CIUBUC (since 15 January 1997);
First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU (since NA April 1994)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 17 November 1996; runoff election 1 December 1996
(next to be held NA November 2000); following legislative elections,
the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition
is usually elected prime minister by Parliament
election results: Petru LUCINSCHI ran against Mircea SNEGUR and was
elected president; percent of vote - LUCINSCHI 54%, SNEGUR 46%; Prime
Minister Ion CIUBU was appointed by the president 15 January 1997 and
was elected by a parliamentary vote of 75-15 on 24 January 1997

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (104 seats; members are
directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections : last held 27 February 1994 (next to be held NA February
1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDAM
56, Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28, Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11,
FPCDM 9; note - seats as of June-July 1995 were as follows: PDAM 45,
PSM/UN 28, Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11, PRCM 11, FPCDM 9
note : the comparative breakdown of seats by faction is approximate

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Popular Front or
FPCDM (formerly Moldovan Popular Front) [Iurie ROSCA, chairman];
Socialist Unity Faction or US of the Socialist Party of Moldova or
PSM; Social Democratic Party of Moldova or PSDM [Anatol TARAN,
chairman]; Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova or PDAM [D