Government and Politics of Eritrea

Government Type

transitional government

Administrative Divisions

6 regions (regions, singular - region); Central, Anelba, Southern Red Sea, Northern Red Sea, Southern, Gash-Barka

Legal System

primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

Executive Branch

chief of state: President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and serves as head of the State Council and National Assembly head of government: President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and serves as head of the State Council and National Assembly cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president elections: the president is elected by the National Assembly; the last election was held on 8 June 1993, when Eritrea gained independence; no subsequent presidential elections have been held, and the National Assembly has been suspended since 2002, leaving ISAIAS Afwerki as the country's sole leader without a renewed electoral mandate election results: ISAIAS Afwerki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afwerki 95%

Legislative Branch

Unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established) Eritrea has operated without a functioning legislature for decades. Following the adoption of the constitution in May 1997, a Transitional National Assembly was established, composed of 75 members of the PFDJ (People's Front for Democracy and Justice) Central Committee, 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly that had been convened to ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad. This body was intended to serve as the country's legislative authority until nationwide elections to a permanent National Assembly could be held. Although the constitution stipulates that all members of the National Assembly are to be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters, elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely following a government crackdown on political dissent. No national elections have been held since Eritrea's independence-era vote in 1993. The PFDJ remains the sole legal political party, and the 1997 constitution has never been fully implemented. A new constitutional review process was announced in 2012 and a revised constitution was ratified in 2023, though meaningful legislative activity and free elections remain absent, leaving effective political power consolidated in the executive under President Isaias Afwerki.

Judicial Branch

High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts

Political Parties

People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it

Head of State

President ISAIAS Afwerki

Head of Government

President ISAIAS Afwerki

Cabinet

State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president

Election Results

Eritrea has not held a national election since gaining independence from Ethiopia in 1993. In that year, a UN-supervised referendum on independence was conducted, in which approximately 99.8 percent of eligible voters chose independence from Ethiopia. Voter turnout was reported at over 98 percent, reflecting the population's overwhelming desire for self-determination after a 30-year liberation struggle. Following independence, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), which had led the armed independence movement, reconstituted itself as the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) in 1994. The PFDJ assumed full control of the government, with Isaias Afwerki serving as president. Afwerki has remained in power since that time without a popular mandate through competitive elections. A national constitution was ratified in 1997, which provided for a multiparty political system and democratic elections. However, those elections were never held. The government indefinitely postponed the implementation of the constitution, citing the unresolved border conflict with Ethiopia following the 1998–2000 war. Even after a peace agreement was signed with Ethiopia in 2018, no steps toward holding elections were taken. The Eritrean National Assembly, which is the country's legislative body, has not convened since 2002. No opposition political parties are legally permitted to operate, and independent civil society organizations and free media are effectively banned. International human rights bodies have consistently classified Eritrea as one of the most politically closed nations in the world. As a result, there are no competitive election results to report. Political power in Eritrea remains entirely consolidated within the PFDJ and the executive presidency, with no credible electoral process having taken place in the country's post-independence history. International observers and democracy-monitoring organizations have noted the absence of any electoral infrastructure or announced timeline for future elections.

Constitution

the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented

Independence

24 May 1993

National Holiday

Independence Day, 24 May (1993)

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador GIRMA Asmerom chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991 FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304 consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004 FAX: [291] (1) 127584

Capital City

Asmara

Location

15 20 N, 38 56 E

Time Difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

The name means "they [women] made them unite," which according to Tigrinya oral tradition refers to the women of the four clans in the Asmara area who persuaded their menfolk to unite and defeat their common enemy; the name has also been translated as "live in peace"

U.S. Embassy Eritrea 179 Alaa Street, PO Box 211, Asmara Telephone: (291-1) 12-00-04 Facsimile: (291-1) 124-255 and (291-1) 127-584

Military Branches

Eritrean Armed Forces: Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force)

Service Age and Obligation

18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation