People:

Government type: transitional government

Note: following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely of the Peoples' Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature   National capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)   Administrative divisions: 8 provinces (singular—awraja); Akele Guzay, Barka, Denkel, Hamasen, Sahil, Semhar, Senhit, Seraye note: in May 1995 the National Assembly adopted a resolution stating that the administrative structure of Eritrea, which had been established by former colonial powers, would consist of only six provinces when the new constitution, then being drafted, would go into effect some time in 1998; the new provinces, the names of which had not been recommended by the US Board on Geographic Names for recognition by the US government, pending acceptable definition of the boundaries, were: Anseba, Debub, Debubawi Keyih Bahri, Gash-Barka, Maakel, and Semanawi Keyih Bahri; more recently, it has been reported that these provinces have been redesignated regions and renamed Southern Red Sea, Northern Red Sea, Anseba, Gash-Barka, Southern, and Central.

Independence: 27 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)   National holiday: National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)  

Constitution: the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution that was promulgated in May 1997  

Legal system: NA 

Executive branch:

chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note—the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note—the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority note: the president is head of the State Council and National Assemblyelections: president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next to be held NA) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)

elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until country-wide elections to a National Assembly are held in 1998; only 75 members will be elected to the National Assembly—the other 75 will be members of the Central Committee of the PFDJ  

Judicial branch: Judiciary the Supreme Court; 10 provincial courts; 29 district courts

Political parties and leaders: People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki, PETROS Solomon]  

Political pressure groups and leaders: Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ; Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean Liberation Front-United Organization or ELF-UO [Mohammed Said NAWUD]; Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council or ELF-RC [Ahmed NASSER]

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