ext to be held NA 1999); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results : President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected without
opposition; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab
(163 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%,
others 1.3%; seats by party - RCD 144, MDS 10, others 9; note - the
government changed the electoral code to guarantee that the opposition
won seats

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party
(RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of
Democratic Socialists (MDS), Ismail BOULAHIA; five other political
parties are legal, including the Communist Party

Political pressure groups and leaders: the Islamic fundamentalist
party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD,
AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member),
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNTAES, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Azouz ENNIFAR
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY
embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [216] (1) 782-566
FAX: [216] (1) 789-719

Flag description: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red
crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and
star are traditional symbols of Islam

Economy

Economy - overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important
agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors.
Detailed governmental control of economic affairs has gradually
lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization of trade
and commerce, simplification of the tax structure, and a cautious
approach to debt. Real growth has averaged 4.5% in 1991-96, and
inflation has been moder