Note. The information on this page has been modified and is subject to further change as the political environment remains uncertain
Official name
Republic of Tunisia
Legal system
Based on the constitution of 1959
Legislature
The 214 members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term; 53 of them are elected by proportional representation from those parties that fail to win seats under the first-past-the-post system; only officially recognised parties can contest elections; a 2002 constitutional amendment led to the establishment of an upper house in August 2005, the 126-member Chamber of Counsellors
National elections
Next election due in 2011 (presidential and parliamentary); amendments made to the constitution by the former president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, will need to be removed to allow for fair representation of non-Rassemblement constitutionnel démocratique (RCD) members
Head of state
Mr Ben Ali stepped down on January 14th 2011, amid widespread protests. A presidential election is due to be held in 2011. Information on the length of the term and the maximum number of terms in office has yet to be released
Executive
Council of Ministers, presided over by the head of state, who is also head of the executive; if the Council does not receive the support of the Chamber of Deputies, the latter may be dissolved by the president, after which elections for a new assembly would be held. The most recent cabinet reshuffle took place in January 2010
Main political parties
Mouvement des démocrates socialistes (MDS); Parti de l'unité populaire (PUP); Parti démocratique progressiste (PDP), formerly the Rassemblement socialiste progressiste (RSP); Harakat Ettajdid (HE); Parti social libéral; Union démocratique unioniste (UDU); Forum démocratique pour le travail et les libertés (FDTL); Hizb al-Nahda
The government
Prime minister: Béji Caid Essebsi
Key ministers
Administrative development: Vacant
Agriculture & environment: Mokhtar Jelil
Culture: Ezzedine Bach Chaouech
Education: Tayeb Baccouch
Finance: Jelloul Ayed
Foreign affairs: Vacant
Health: Habiba Zehi
Higher education & scientific research: Rifaat Chaabouni
Industry & technology: Abdellaziz Rassaa
Interior: Habib Essid
Justice: Lazhar Karoui Chebbi
National defence: Abdelkarim Zebidi
Planning & international cooperation: Abdelhamid Triki
Religious affairs: Laroussi Mizouri
Regional & local development: Abderrazak Zouari
Social affairs: Mohammed Naceur
Trade & tourism: Mehdi Houas
Transport & public works: Yassin Ibrahim
Women: Lilia Abidi
Central bank governor
Mustapha Kamel Nabli