ial
status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central,
Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North,
Matabeleland South, Midlands

Independence: 18 April 1980 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

Constitution: 21 December 1979

Legal system: mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31
December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31
December 1987) and Joseph MSIKA (since 23 December 1999); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since
31 December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31
December 1987) and Joseph MSIKA (since 23 December 1999); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the House
of Assembly
elections: president nominated by the House of Assembly for a six-year
term (if more than one nomination, an electoral college consisting of
members of the House of Assembly elects the president); election last
held 16-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2002); co-vice
presidents appointed by the president
election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent
of electoral college vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 92.7%, Abel MUZOREWA
4.8%; Ndabaningi SITHOLE 2.4%

Legislative branch: unicameral parliament, called House of Assembly
(150 seats - 120 elected by popular vote for six-year terms, 12
nominated by the president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen
by their peers, and 8 occupied by provincial governors)
elections: last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held 24-25 June 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
ZANU-PF 117, ZANU-NDONGA 2, independent 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or DP [Emmanuel
MAGOCHE]; Forum Party of Zimbabwe ; Movement for
Democratic Change or MOC ; Popular Democratic
Front or PDF ; United Parties ;
Zimbabwe African National Union-NDONGA or ZANU-NDONGA [Ndabaningi
SITHOLE]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF
; Zimbabwe Unity Movement or ZUM

Political pressure groups and leaders: National Constitutional
Assembly or NCA

International organization participatio