Guinea-Bissau Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form : Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
local long form: Republica de Guine-Bissau
local short form: Guine-Bissau
former: Portuguese Guinea

Data code PU

Government type republic, multiparty since mid-1991, formerly highly centralized

National capital Bissau

Administrative divisions 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama,Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali

Independence 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

National holiday Independence Day, 10 September (1974)

Constitution 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991 (currently undergoing revision to liberalizepopular participation in the government)

Legal system NA

Suffrage 15 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (initially assumed power 14 November1980)
head of government: Prime Minister Manuel da Costa SATURNINO (since 5 November 1994)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections : president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election lastheld NA August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed bythe president
election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote - Joao BernardoVIEIRA 52%, Kumba YALLA 48%

Legislative branch unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular(100 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)
elections : last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 46.0%, RGB-MB 19.2%, PRS 10.3%, UM12.8%, FLING 2.5%, PCD 5.3%, PUSD 2.9%, FCG 0.2%, others 0.8%; seats by party- PAIGC 62, RGB 19, PRS 12, UM 6, FLING 1

Judicial branch none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers

Political parties and leaders African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde orPAIGC [President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader]; Front for the Liberation andIndependence of Guinea or FLING [Francois Kankoila MENDY]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-BahFatah Movement or RGB-MB [Domingos FERNANDES Gomes]; Guinea Civic Forum orFCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Vi'torMANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Koumba YALLA, leader]; Union forChange Coalition or UM [Joao da COSTA, Pres. ]; United Social Democratic Partyor PUSD [Vi'tor Sau'de MARIA]

International organization participation ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission : Ambassador Rufino Jose MENDES
chancery: 918 16th Street NW, Mezzanine Suite, Washington, DC 20006
telephone: [1] (202) 872-4222
FAX: [1] (202) 872-4226

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Peggy BLACKFORD
embassy : Bairro de Penha, Bissau
mailing address: C.P. 297, 1067 Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
telephone: [245] 252273, 252274, 252275, 252276
FAX: [245] 252282

Flag description two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a verticalred band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered inthe red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

NOTE: The information regarding Guinea-Bissau 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 Guinea-Bissau Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guinea-Bissau Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.