95 and 2000

Legal system:
civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 15 January
2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January 2007);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 15
January 2007); Vice President Jaime MORALES Carazo (since 10 January
2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term so
long as it is not consecutive); election last held 5 November 2006
(next to be held by November 2011)
election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) elected president -
38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE (ALN) 29%, Jose RIZO (PLC) 26.21%,
Edmundo JARQUIN (MRS) 6.44%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats;
members are elected by proportional representation and party lists
to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1 seat
for the runner-up in previous presidential election)
elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November
2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate
Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election),
MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year
terms by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon]; Central
American Unionist Party or PUCA [Blanca ROJAS]; Christian
Alternative Party or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]; Conservative
Party or PC [Azalia AVILES Salmeron]; Independent Liberal Party or
PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez, Pedro REYES Vallejos]; Independent
Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN [Carlos GUERRA Gallardo];
Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Liberal
Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; New Liberal
Party or PALI [Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel]; Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
or ALN [Eduardo MONTEALEGRE]; Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Pa