Brunei: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam local short form: Brunei etymology: derivation of the name is unclear; according to legend, MUHAMMAD SHAH, who would become the first sultan of Brunei, upon discovering what would become Brunei exclaimed "Baru nah," which roughly translates as "there" or "that's it" |
|---|---|
| Government type | absolute monarchy or sultanate (locally known as Malay Islamic Monarchy) |
| Capital | Bandar Seri Begawan
Bandar Seri Begawan
geographic coordinates: 4 53 N, 114 56 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei-Muara, Temburong, Tutong |
| Independence | 1 January 1984 (from the UK) |
| National holiday | National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection |
| Constitution | drafted 1954 to 1959, signed 29 September 1959; amended 1984, 2004, 2011; note - some constitutional provisions suspended since 1962 under a State of Emergency, others suspended since independence in 1984 (2016) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; note - in May 2014, the first phase of a sharia-based penal codes was instituted, which applies to Muslims and non-Muslims and exists in parallel to the existing common law-based code |
| 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: the father must be a citizen of Brunei dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 12 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age for village elections; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; note - 4 additional advisory councils appointed by the monarch are the Religious Council, Privy Council for constitutional issues, Council of Succession, and Legislative Council elections/appointments: none; the monarchy is hereditary |
| Legislative branch | description: Legislative Council or Majlis Mesyuarat Negara Brunei (36 seats; members appointed by the sultan including 3 ex-officio members - the speaker and first and second secretaries; meets annually for approximately two weeks) elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA) |
| Judicial branch | highest resident court(s): Supreme Court (consists of Court of Appeal and High Court, each with a chief justice and 2 judges); Sharia Court of Appeal (consists of judges appointed by the monarch); note - Brunei has a dual judicial system of secular and sharia (religious) courts; the Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London serves as the final appellate court for civil cases only judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch to serve until age 65, and older if approved by the monarch; Sharia Court of Appeal judges appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for life subordinate courts: Intermediate Court; Magistrate's Courts; Juvenile Court; small claims courts; lower sharia courts |
| Political parties and leaders | National Development Party or NDP (YASSIN Affendi) note: Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu and People's Awareness Party or PAKAR Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad were deregistered in 2007; parties are small and have limited activity |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA |
| International organization participation | ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Serbini ALI (since 28 January 2016) chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (1) (202) 237-1838 FAX: (1) (202) 885-0560 consulate(s): New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Craig B. ALLEN (since 9 March 2015) embassy: Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Datu, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115 mailing address: Unit 4280, Box 40, FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: (673) 238-4616 FAX: (673) 238-4604 |
| Flag description | yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; yellow is the color of royalty and symbolizes the sultanate; the white and black bands denote Brunei's chief ministers; the emblem includes five main components: a swallow-tailed flag, the royal umbrella representing the monarchy, the wings of four feathers symbolizing justice, tranquility, prosperity, and peace, the two upraised hands signifying the government's pledge to preserve and promote the welfare of the people, and the crescent moon denoting Islam, the state religion; the state motto "Always render service with God's guidance" appears in yellow Arabic script on the crescent; a ribbon below the crescent reads "Brunei, the Abode of Peace" |
| National symbol(s) | royal parasol; national colors: yellow, white, black |
| National anthem | name: "Allah Peliharakan Sultan" (God Bless His Majesty) lyrics/music: Pengiran Haji Mohamed YUSUF bin Pengiran Abdul Rahim/Awang Haji BESAR bin Sagap note: adopted 1951 |