conventional long
form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo local long form: Republique du Congo
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Brazzaville
Administrative divisions:
10 regions (regions,
singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette,
Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool,
Sangha
Independence:
15 August 1960 (from
France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15
August (1960)
Constitution:
constitution approved
by referendum 20 January 2002
Legal system:
based on French civil
law system and customary law
Suffrage:
18 years of age;
universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the
civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25
October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected
president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year
term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10
March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president;
percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia
MBOUNGOU 2.7%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament
consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held NA
July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002
(next to be held by NA May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour
Supreme
Political parties and leaders:
the most important of
the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an
alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor
Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy
and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and
Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president];
Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI
[Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS
[Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS
[Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and
the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and
Republic or UDR [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD
[Sebastian EBAO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Congolese Trade Union
Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or
UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of
Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC
chief of mission:
Ambassador Robin R. SANDERS embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310
Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)
Flag description:
divided diagonally from
the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side)
is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African
colors of Ethiopia