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conventional short form: Senegal
local long form: Republique du Senegal
local short form: Senegal

Data code: SG

Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule

National capital: Dakar

Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular-region);
Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis,
Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

Independence: 4 April 1960 from France; complete independence was
achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
(The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that
called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as
Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Constitution: 3 March 1963, revised 1991

Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits
the government's accounting office; Senegal has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 21 February 1993 (next to be held NA February
2000); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Abdou DIOUF reelected president; percent of
vote-Abdou DIOUF (PS) 58.4%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 32.03%, other 9.57%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale (140 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 24 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party-PS 50.19%, PDS 19%, UDS-R
13%, And/Jef-PADS 5%, LD/MPT 4%, CDP/Garab-Gi 2%, FSD 1%, PDS-R 1%,
RND 1%, BCG 1%, and PIT 1% ; seats by party-PS 93, PDS 23, UDS-R 11,
And-Jef/PADS 4, LD-MPT 3, CDP/Garab-Gi 1, FSD 1, PDS-R 1, RND 1, BCG
1, and PIT 1

Judicial branch: under the terms of a reform of the judicial system
implemented in 1992, the principal organs of the judiciary are as
follows; Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final
Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders: African Party for Democracy and
Socialism or And