cent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders:
Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally
Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President
Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Green Party for
Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; Liberal Social Party or PSL
[Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail
BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA];
Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic
Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
18 October Group [collective leadership]; Democratic Forum for
Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben JAFAAR]; Tunisian League
for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]; note - the Islamic
fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUC,
NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC
embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [216] 71 107-000
FAX: [216] 71 107-090

Flag description:
red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly
encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are
traditional symbols of Islam

Economy Tunisia

Economy - overview:
Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining,
energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of
economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the
past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax
structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social
policies also