and is the most powerful political entity in the
country
elections: president and vice presidents elected by a two-thirds
majority of the Revolutionary Command Council; election last held 17
October 1995 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: SADDAM Husayn reelected president; percent of vote -
99%; Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF and Taha Yasin RAMADAN elected vice
presidents; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani
(250 seats; 30 appointed by the president to represent the three
northern provinces of Dahuk, Arbil, and As Sulaymaniyah; 220 elected
by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Ba'th Party [SADDAM Husayn, central
party leader]

Political pressure groups and leaders: any formal political activity
must be sanctioned by the government; opposition to regime from
Kurdish groups and southern Shi'a dissidents

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Iraq has an Interest
Section in the Algerian Embassy headed by Mr. Akram AL DOURI; address:
Iraqi Interests Section, Algerian Embassy, 2118 Kalorama Road NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone: (202) 265-2800; FAX: (202)
667-2174

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note - the US has an
Interests Section in the Polish Embassy in Baghdad; address: P. O. Box
2051 Hay Babel, Baghdad; telephone: (1) 718-9267; FAX: (1)
718-9297

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white,
and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line
centered in the white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in
green Arabic script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar
to the left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the
Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria which has two stars
but no script and the flag of Yemen which has a plain white band; also
similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in
the white band

@Ir