mber 1962

Legal system:
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
adult males who are not in the military forces, and adult females
(as of 16 May 2005); all voters must have been citizens for 20 years

Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29
January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah
head of government: Prime Minister NASIR al-Muhammad al-Ahmad
al-Sabah (since 7 February 2006) First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR
Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime
Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February
2006) and Ismail al-SHATTI (since 10 July 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
approved by the amir
elections: none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime
minister and deputy prime ministers

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; all cabinet
ministers are also ex officio voting members of the National
Assembly)
elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

Judicial branch:
High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
none; formation of political parties is illegal

Political pressure groups and leaders:
a number of political groups act as de facto parties; several
legislative blocs operate in the National Assembly: tribal groups,
merchants, Shi'a activists, Islamists, and secular liberals; in
mid-2006, a coalition of Islamists, liberals, and Shia campaigned
successfully for electoral reform to reduce corruption

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM,
OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador R