ogone Occidental, Logone
Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Boneye, Mayo-Dallah, Monts de Lam, N'djamena*,
Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile Oriental, Tandjile Occidental, Tibesti

Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960)

Constitution: passed by referendum 31 March 1996

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (since
4 December 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Nagoum YAMASSOUM
(since 13 December 1999) cabinet: Council of State, members appointed
by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister election
results: Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY reelected president; percent of vote -
Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 63%, Ngarlegy YORONGAR 16%, Saleh KEBZABO 7% note:
government coalition - MPS, UNDR, and URD elections: president elected by
popular vote to serve five-year term; if no candidate receives at least
50% of the total vote, the two candidates receiving the most votes must
stand for a second round of voting; last held 20 May 2001 (next to be
held NA 2006); prime minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral according to constitution, consists of a
National Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms) and a Senate (not yet created and size unspecified,
members to serve six-year terms, one-third of membership renewable
every two years) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, URD 5, UNDR 3, others
11 elections: National Assembly - last held 25 April 2002 (next to be
held in NA April 2006)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts;
Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders: Federation Action for the Republic or
FAR [Ngarlejy YORONGAR]; National Rally for Development and Progress or
RNDP [Mamadou BISSO]; National Union for Development and Renewal or UNDR
[Saleh KEBZABO]; National Union for Renewal and Democracy or UNRD [leader
NA]; Party for Liberty and Democracy or PLD [Ibni Oumar Mahamat SALEH];
Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh AHMAT, chairman]
(originally in opposition but now the party in power and the party of the
president); Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lal Mahamat CHOUA];
Union for Democracy and the Rep