net: Cabinet was appointed by the president on recommendation of
the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Parliament (Narodni Rada): elections last held 30
September-1 October 1994 (next to be held by October 1998); results
- HZDS 35%, SDL 10.4%, Hungarian coalition (Hungarian Christian
Democrats, Hungarian Civic Party, Coexistence) 10.2%, KDH 10.1%, DU
8.6%, ZRS 7.3%, SNS 5.4%; seats - (150 total) governing coalition 83
(HZDS 61, ZRS 13, SNS 9), opposition 67 (SDL 18, Hungarian coalition
17, KDH 17, DU 15)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are elected by the National
Parliament

Political parties and leaders: Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
(HZDS), Vladimir MECIAR, chairman; Common Choice/Party of the
Democratic Left (SDL), Peter WEISS, chairman; Hungarian Christian
Democrats, Vojtech BUGAR; Hungarian Civic Party; Coexistence, Miklos
DURAY, chairman; Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Jan
CARNOGURSKY; Democratic Union (DU), Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman;
Association of Slovak Workers (ZRS), Jan LUPTAK, chairman; Slovak
National Party (SNS), Jan SLOTA, chairman

Other political or pressure groups: Green Party; Social Democratic
Party of Slovakia; Slovak Christian Union

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS,
BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarset, Intelsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM
III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner),
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Branislav LICHARDUS
chancery: (temporary) Suite 380, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 965-5161
FAX: [1] (202) 965-5166

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph JOHNSON
embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [42] (7) 533-0861, 533-3338
FAX: [42] (7) 533-5439

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist
side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue

Economy
-------

Economic overview: Since its separation from the Czech Republic on