The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

      National holiday:

      Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

      Constitution:

      new constitution drafted 14 December 2003–4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004

      Legal system:

      based on mixed civil and Sharia law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage:

      18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; former King ZAHIR Shah held the honorific, "Father of the Country," and presided symbolically over certain occasions but lacked any governing authority; the honorific is not hereditary; King ZAHIR Shah died on 23 July 2007 head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004) cabinet: 25 ministers; note - under the new constitution, ministers are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly elections: the president and two vice presidents are elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if no candidate receives 50% or more of the vote in the first round of voting, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a second round; a president can only be elected for two terms; election last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: Hamid KARZAI elected president; percent of vote - Hamid KARZAI 55.4%, Yunus QANUNI 16.3%, Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ 11.6%, Abdul Rashid DOSTAM 10.0%, Abdul Latif PEDRAM 1.4%, Masooda JALAL 1.2%

      Legislative branch:

      the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for five-year terms, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one-third elected from provincial councils for four-year terms, one-third elected from local district councils for three-year terms, and one-third nominated by the president for five-year terms) note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils elections: last held 18 September 2005 (next to be held for the Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008) election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system used in the election did not make use of political party slates; most candidates ran as independents

      Judicial branch:

      the constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkama or Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year terms by the president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinate High Courts and Appeals Courts; there is also a minister of justice; a separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission established by the Bonn Agreement is charged with investigating human rights abuses and war crimes

      Political parties and leaders:

      Afghanistan Peoples' Treaty Party [Sayyed Amir TAHSEEN];

       Afghanistan's Islamic Mission Organization [Abdul Rasoul SAYYAF];

       Afghanistan's Islamic Nation Party [Toran Noor Aqa Ahmad ZAI];

       Afghanistan's National Islamic Party [Rohullah LOUDIN];

       Afghanistan's Welfare Party [Meer Asef ZAEEFI]; Afghan Social

       Democratic Party [Anwarul Haq AHADI]; Afghan Society for the Call to

       the Koran and Sunna [Mawlawee Samiullah NAJEEBEE]; Comprehensive

       Movement of Democracy and Development of Afghanistan Party [Sher

       Mohammad BAZGAR]; Democratic Party of Afghanistan [Tawos ARAB];

       Democratic Party of Afghanistan [Abdul Kabir RANJBAR]; Elites People

       of Afghanistan Party [Abdul Hamid JAWAD]; Freedom and Democracy

       Movement of Afghanistan [Abdul Raqib Jawid KOHISTANEE]; Freedom

       Party of Afghanistan [Ilaj Abdul MALEK]; Freedom Party of

       Afghanistan [Dr. Ghulam Farooq NEJRABEE]; Hizullah-e-Afghanistan

       [Qari Ahmad ALI]; Human Rights Protection and Development Party of

       Afghanistan [Baryalai NASRATI]; Islamic Justice Party of Afghanistan

       [Mohammad Kabir MARZBAN]; Islamic Movement of Afghanistan [Mohammad

       Ali JAWID]; Islamic Movement of Afghanistan Party [Mohammad Mukhtar

       MUFLEH]; Islamic Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad Khalid FAROOQI];

       Islamic Party of the Afghan Land [Mohammad Hassan FEROZKHEL];

       Islamic People's Movement of Afghanistan [Ilhaj Said Hussain

       ANWARY]; Islamic Society of Afghanistan [Ustad RABBANI]; Islamic

       Unity of the Nation of Afghanistan Party [Qurban Ali URFANI];

       Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad Karim KHALILI]; Islamic

       Unity Party of the People of Afghanistan [Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ];

       Labor and Progress of Afghanistan Party [Zulfiqar OMID]; Muslim

       People of Afghanistan Party [Besmellah JOYAN]; Muslim Unity Movement

       Party of Afghanistan [Wazir Mohammad WAHDAT]; National and Islamic

       Sovereignty Movement Party of Afghanistan [Ahmad Shah AHMADZAI];

       National Congress Party of Afghanistan [Abdul Latif PEDRAM];

       National Country Party [Ghulam MOHAMMAD]; National Development Party

       of Afghanistan [Dr. Aref BAKTASH]; National Freedom Seekers Party

       [Abdul Hadi DABEER]; National Independence Party of Afghanistan [Taj

       Mohammad WARDAK]; National Islamic Fighters Party of Afghanistan

       [Amanat NINGARHAREE]; National Islamic Front of Afghanistan [Pir

       Sayed Ahmad GAILANEE]; National Islamic Moderation Party of

       Afghanistan [Qara Bik Eized YAAR]; National Islamic Movement of

       Afghanistan [Sayed NOORULLAH]; National Islamic Unity Party of

       Afghanistan [Mohammad AKBAREE]; National Movement of Afghanistan

       [Ahmad Wali MASOOUD]; National Party of Afghanistan [Abdul Rashid

       ARYAN]; National Patch of Afghanistan Party [Sayed Kamal SADAT];

       National Peace Islamic Party of Afghanistan [Shah Mohammood Popal

       ZAI]; National Peace & Islamic Party of the Tribes of Afghanistan

       [Abdul Qaher SHARIATEE]; National Peace & Unity Party of Afghanistan

       [Abdul Qader IMAMI]; National Prosperity and Islamic Party of

       Afghanistan [Mohammad Osman SALEKZADA]; National Prosperity Party

       [Mohammad Hassan JAHFAREE]; National Solidarity Movement of

       Afghanistan [Pir Sayed Eshaq GAILANEE]; National Solidarity Party of

       Afghanistan [Sayed Mansoor NADREEI]; National Sovereignty Party

       [Sayed Mustafa KAZEMI]; National Stability Party [Mohammad Same

       KHAROTI]; National Stance Party [Habibullah JANEBDAR]; National

       Tribal Unity Islamic Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad Shah KHOGYANI];

       National United Front [Burhanuddin RABBANI] (a coalition); National

       Unity Movement [Sultan Mohammad GHAZI]; National Unity Movement of