Somaliland, which
became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland,
which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship
on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)

National holiday: Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960);
note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland

Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the Transitional National Government formed in August 2000 has a
mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections within three years

Legal system: no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in
some localities

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan (since
26 August 2000); note - Interim President ABDIKASSIM was chosen for
a three-year term by a 245-member National Assembly serving as a
transitional government; the present political situation is still
unstable, particularly in the south, with interclan fighting and
random banditry election results: at the Djibouti-sponsored Arta Peace
Conference on 26 August 2000 by a broad representation of Somali clans
that comprised a transitional National Assembly head of government:
Prime Minister HASSAN Abshir Farah (since 12 November 2001) cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and sworn in on 20 October 2000;
as of 1 January 2002, the Cabinet was in caretaker status following a
no-confidence vote in October 2001 that ousted HASSAN's predecessor

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Golaha Shacbiga note:
fledgling parliament; a transitional 245-member National Assembly began
to meet on 13 August 2000 in the town of Arta, Djibouti and is now based
in Mogadishu

Judicial branch: following the breakdown of national government, most
regions have reverted to Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for
appeal of all sentences

Political parties and leaders: none

Political pressure groups and leaders: numerous clan and subclan factions
are currently vying for power

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: Somalia does not have an embassy
in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TNG and other