olivia
local short form: Bolivia

Data code: BL

Government type: republic

Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and
seat of judiciary)

Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos,
singular--departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro,
Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

Legal system: based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21
years of age, universal and compulsory (single)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August 1997);
Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August 1997);
note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August
1997); Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August
1997); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from a panel of
candidates proposed by the Senate
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 1 June 1997
(next to be held June 2002)
election results: Hugo BANZER Suarez elected president; percent of
vote--Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%; Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 17%, Juan
Carlos DURAN (MNR) 18%, Ivo KULJIS (UCS) 16%, Remedios LOZA
(CONDEPA) 17%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote;
Hugo BANZER Suarez won a congressional runoff election on 5 August
1997 after forming a "megacoalition" with MIR, UCS, CONDEPA, NFR and
PDC

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso
Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies--last held 1
June 1997 (next to be held June 2002)
election results: Chamber of Senators--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--ADN 11, MIR 7, MNR 4, CONDEPA 3, UCS 2; Chamber of
Deputies-