Part 732

@Senegal:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local long form : Republique du Senegal local short form: Senegal

Data code: SG

Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule

National capital: Dakar

Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

Independence: 4 April 1960 from France; complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960 (The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

Constitution: 3 March 1963, revised 1991

Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; Senegal has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981) head of government: Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections : president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 21 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 2000); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Abdou DIOUF reelected president; percent of vote - Abdou DIOUF (PS) 58.4%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 32.03%, other 9.57%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 9 May 1993 (next to be held NA May 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 70%, PDS 23%, other 7%; seats by party - PS 84, PDS 27, LD-MPT 3, AND/JEF-PADS 3, PIT 2, UDS-R 1

Judicial branch: under the terms of a reform of the judicial system implemented in 1992, the principal organs of the judiciary are as follows; Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cessation; Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders: African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AND/JEF-PADS [Landing SAVANE, secretary-general]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP Garab-Gi [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Independent Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; Let Us Unite Senegal (coalition of African Party for Democracy and Socialism and National Democratic Rally); National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]; Senegalese Democratic Union-Renewal or UDS-R [Mamadou Puritain FALL]; Socialist Party or PS [President Abdou DIOUF]; other small uninfluential parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: students; teachers; labor; Muslim Brotherhoods

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Mansour SECK chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone : (202) 234-0540, 0541

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dane Farnsworth SMITH, Jr. (5 August 1996) embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: 23 42 96, 23 34 24 FAX: 22 29 91

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy

Economy - overview: In 1994 Senegal embarked on its most concerted structural adjustment effort yet to exploit the 50% devaluation of the currencies of the 14 Francophone African nations which took place on 12 January of that year. After years of foot-dragging, the government passed a liberalized labor code which should lower the cost of labor and improve the manufacturing sector's competitiveness. Inroads also have been made in closing tax loopholes, eliminating monopoly power in several sectors, and privatizing state-owned firms. At the same time, the government is holding the line on current fiscal expenditure under the watchful eyes of international organizations on which it depends for substantial support. The IMF, in mid-1995, announced that the government met most economic targets as called for in its Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility agreement and released the second $50 million tranche. The country's narrow tax and resource base, environmental degradation, and untamed growth of the population will continue to hold back improvement in living standards over the medium term. According to the draft budget, GDP will again rise by 5% in 1997.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $15.6 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,700 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 21% industry: 19% services: 60% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 7.8% (1995)

Labor force: total: 2.509 million (77% are engaged in subsistence farming; 175,000 wage earners) by occupation: private sector 40%, government and parapublic 60%