Brunei Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei

Data code BX

Government type constitutional sultanate

National capital Bandar Seri Begawan

Administrative divisions 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara,Temburong, Tutong

Independence 1 January 1984 (from UK)

National holiday National Day, 23 February (1984)

Constitution 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergencysince December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)

Legal system based on Islamic law

Suffrage none

Executive branch
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan HajiHASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967); note - thesultan is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan HajiHASSANAL Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1967); note - thesultan is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the sultan;deals with executive matters
note: there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the sultan)that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by thesultan) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession(members appointed by the sultan) that determines the succession to the throneif the need arises
elections: none; the sultan is a traditional Islamic monarch

Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat Megeri (a privy councilthat serves only in a consultative capacity; NA seats; members appointed bythe sultan)
elections: last held in March 1962
note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of thesultan; an elected Legislative Council is being considered as part of constitutionalreform, but elections are unlikely for several years

Judicial branch Supreme Court, chief justice and judges are sworn in by the sultan forthree-year terms

Political parties and leaders Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman;Brunei National Solidarity Party (the first legal political party and nowbanned), Mohamad HATTA bin Maji Zainal Abidin, secretary general; Brunei PeoplesParty (banned), Sheik A. M. AZAHARI, leader; Brunei National Democratic Partyor BNDP (deregistered), Haji Abdul LATIF bin Abdul Hamad, president

International organization participation APEC, ASEAN, C, CCC, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, OIC,UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Pengiran Anak Dato Haji PUTEH
chancery: Watergate, Suite 300, 3rd floor, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington,DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 342-0159
FAX: [1] (202) 342-0158

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Glen Robert RASE
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
mailing address : American Embassy Box B, Bandar Seri Begawan, APO AP 96440
telephone: [673] (2) 229670
FAX: [673] (2) 225293

Flag description yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) andblack starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposedat the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a wingedcolumn within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraisedhands

NOTE: The information regarding Brunei on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Brunei Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Brunei Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.