<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 20 March 1956 (from France)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> National Day, 20 March (1956)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> 20 years of age; universal
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results—Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
<item><hi format=bold>Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab):</hi> elections last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA March 1994); results—RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%; seats—(141 total) RCD 141
<item><hi format=bold>Judicial branch:</hi> Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi> Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party
<item><hi format=bold>Other political or pressure groups:</hi> the Islamic fundamentalist party, An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed
<item><hi format=bold>Flag:</hi> 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