Eritrea: Government#
| 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 etymology: the country name derives from the ancient Greek appellation "Erythra Thalassa" meaning Red Sea, which is the major water body bordering the country |
|---|---|
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | Asmara (Asmera)
Asmara (Asmera)
geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea) |
| Independence | 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 24 May (1991) |
| Constitution | adopted 23 May 1997 (not fully implemented); note - drafting of a new constitution, which began in 2014, continued into 2016 (2016) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Eritrea dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 20 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993) cabinet: State Council appointed by the president elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the only election was held on 8 June 1993, following independence from Ethiopia (next election postponed indefinitely) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki (PFDJ) 95%, other 5% |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly or Hagerawi Baito (150 seats; 75 members indirectly elected by the ruling party and 75 directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms) 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 countrywide elections to form a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely due to the war with Ethiopia |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): High Court (consists of 20 judges and organized into civil, commercial, criminal, labor, administrative, and customary sections) judge selection and term of office: High Court judges appointed by the president subordinate courts: regional/zonal courts; community courts; special courts; sharia courts (for issues dealing with Muslim marriage, inheritance, and family); military courts |
| Political parties and leaders | People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ (ISAIAS Afworki) (the only party recognized by the government) note: a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly never debated or voted on it |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Eritrean Kunama or DMLEK Eritrean Democratic Alliance or EDA Eritrean Islamic Party for Justice and Development or EIPJD (includes the Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement (EIJM), Eritrean Islamic Salvation, and the Eritrean Islamic Foundation) Eritrean National Congress for Democratic Change or ENCDC Eritrean National Salvation Front or ENSF Eritrean People's Democratic Party or EPDP Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization or RSADO |
| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon (since 15 March 2011) 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Natalie E. BROWN (since September 2016) embassy: 179 Ala 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; green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Vanuatu |
| National symbol(s) | camel; national colors: green, red, blue |
| National anthem | name: "Ertra, Ertra, Ertra" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea) lyrics/music: SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia |