The government includes
legislative, executive and judicial branches. The judicial body
operates independenly of both the legislative and executive bodies
and has a court system extending from the village, district, zonal
and national levels.
The National Assembly outlines the internal and external policies of
the government, regulates their implementation and approves the
budget. The legislative body, the National Assembly, has 150
members. Half of them are members of the central committee of the
People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)-the name adopted by
the EPLF at its February 1994 congress.The other 75 representatives
are elected.
The president nominates officials to head the various ministries,
commissions and offices. The cabinet comprises 16 members chaired by
the president. The cabinet has the highest authority between
sessions of the national assembly and is accountable to national
assembly.
A constitutional commission of Eritrea (CCE) which commenced work in
1994 with a two year mandate to draft a constitution has completed
its work.The draft constitution is to be submitted to the national
assembly for approval and eventual submission to a constituent
assembly.
Source Eritrean Embassy Sweden Website
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Eritrea
conventional short form: Eritrea
local long form: Hagere Ertra
local short form: Ertra
former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Data code: ER
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 People's 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
Capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces (singular—awraja);
Akale 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, became
effective in 1997; 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: 24 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
Suffrage: NA; note—it seems likely that the final
version of the constitution would follow the example set in the
referendum of 1993 and extend suffrage to all persons 18 years of
age or older
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
Assembly
elections: 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; 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: 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]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC,
ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador SEMERE Russom
chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William CLARK
embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara
mailing address: P.O. Box 211, Asmara
telephone: [291] (1) 120004
FAX: [291] (1) 127584
Flag description: red isosceles triangle (based on the
hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper
triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a
gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle
Source
CIA World Fact Book Website |
