, 1 December (1958)

Constitution: passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January
1995

Legal system: based on French law

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22
October 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1
April 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by
popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999
(next to be held NA September 2005); prime minister appointed by the
president election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president;
percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%,
David DACKO 11.15%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
(109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms;
note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998
election) elections: election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC
43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%,
UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8,
FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court
(3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National
Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts;
Inferior Courts

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP
[Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre
KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum
for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD
[Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD
[David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People
or MLPC [the party of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front
for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR
[Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE];
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC,
CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer),
OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO