r
religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal, but noncompulsary

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Lt. General Umar
Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993) was elected to a
five-year term by popular vote; election last held 6-17 March 1996
(next to be held NA 2001); results - President al-BASHIR won 75.7%
of the vote and defeated about forty other candidates; First Vice
President Major General al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH (since 19 October
1993), Second Vice President (Police) Maj. General George KONGOR
AROP (since NA February 1994)
note: al-BASHIR, as chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council
for National Salvation (RCC), assumed power on 30 June 1989 and
served concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime
minister, and minister of defense until 16 October 1993 when he was
appointed president by the RCC; upon its dissolution on 16 October
1993, the RCC's executive and legislative powers were devolved to
the president and the Transitional National Assembly (TNA), Sudan's
appointed legislative body, which has since been replaced by the
National Assembly which was elected in March 1996
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president; note - on 30
October 1993, President al-BASHIR announced a new, predominantly
civilian cabinet, consisting of 20 federal ministers, most of whom
retained their previous cabinet positions; on 9 February 1995, he
abolished three ministries and redivided their portfolios to create
several new ministries; these changes increased National Islamic
Front presence at the ministerial level and consolidated its control
over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; President al-BASHIR's
government is dominated by members of Sudan's National Islamic
Front, a fundamentalist political organization formed from the
Muslim Brotherhood in 1986; front leader Hasan al-TURABI dominates
much of Khartoum's overall domestic and foreign policies; President
al-BASHIR is expected to name a new cabinet following the elections
held in March 1996

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly: elections last held 6-17 March 1996 (next to be
held NA); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (400 total, 275
directly elected, and 125 elected by a supra assembly of interest
groups known as the National Congress)