<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> National Liberation Day, 9 May; Founding of the Republic, 28 October
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line with Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> 18 years of age; universal
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> President Vaclav HAVEL (since 26 January 1993); election last held 26 January 1993 (next to be held NA January 1998); results—Vaclav HAVEL elected by the National Council
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister Vaclav KLAUS (since NA June 1992); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivan KOCARNIK, Josef LUX, Jan KALVODA (since NA June 1992)
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Legislative branch:</hi> bicameral National Council (Narodni rada)
<item><hi format=bold>Senate:</hi> elections not yet held; seats (81 total)
<item><hi format=bold>Chamber of Deputies:</hi> elections last held 5-6 June 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(200 total) Civic Democratic Party/Christian Democratic Party 76, Left Bloc 35, Czech Social Democratic Party 16, Liberal Social Union 16, Christian Democratic Union/Czech People's Party 15, Assembly for the Republic/Republican Party 14, Civic Democratic Alliance 14, Movement for Self-Governing Democracy for Moravia and Silesia 14
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi> Civic Democratic Party (ODS), Vaclav KLAUS, chairman; Christian Democratic Union-Czech People's Party (KDU-CSL), Josef LUX, chairman; Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), Jan KALVODA, chairman; Christian Democratic Party (KDS), Ivan PILIP, chairman; Czech Social Democratic Party, Milos ZEMAN, chairman; Czech-Moravian Center Party, Jan KYCER, chairman; Liberal Social Union (LSU), Frantisek TRNKA; Communist Party of Bohemia/Moravia (KSCM), Miroslav GREBENICEK, chairman; Association for the Republic—Republican Party, Miroslav SLADEK, chairman; Left Bloc, Marie STIBOROVA, chairman
<item><hi format=bold>Other political or pressure groups:</hi> Left Bloc; Liberal Party; Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Unions
<item><hi format=bold>Member of:</hi> BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IFCTU, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG, PCA, UN (as of 8 January 1993), UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
<item><hi format=bold>Diplomatic representation in US:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of mission:</hi> Ambassador Michael ZANTOVSKY
<item>• <hi format=ital>chancery:</hi> 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
<item>• <hi format=ital>telephone:</hi> (202) 363-6315 or 6316
<item><hi format=bold>Flag:</hi> two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)
