Short facts about the government of Tunisia
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Tunisia
conventional short
form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at
Tunisiyah
local short form:
Tunis |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative divisions: |
23 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja
(Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf), Gabes
(Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine
(Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Medenine (Madanin),
Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu
Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar),
Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan) |
| Independence: |
20 March 1956 (from
France) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 20 March
(1956) |
| Constitution: |
1 June 1959; amended 12 July
1988 |
| Legal
system: |
based on French civil law system and
Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in
joint session |
| Suffrage: |
20 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI
(since 17 November 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed
by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for
a five-year term; election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a third term without opposition;
percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly
100% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or
Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA
2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 92%; seats
by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2; note - reforms
enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats; the opposition increased
number of seats from 19 to 34 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Court of Cassation or Cour de
Cassation |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH];
Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel
Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling
party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Democratic
Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj
AMOR]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane
TLILI] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al
Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed |
| International organization participation: |
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU,
BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH
chancery: 1515
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1]
(202) 862-1850 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Rust DEMMING
embassy: 144 Avenue de la
Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
mailing address: use embassy street
address
telephone: [216] (1) 782-566
FAX: [216]
(1) 789-719 |
| Flag
description: |
red with a white disk in the center
bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent
and star are traditional symbols of Islam | Source: World Factbook |
