Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Federal Council
(German—Bundesrat, French—Conseil Federal)
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German—Bundesversammlung,
French—Assemblee Federale) consists of an upper council or Council of
States (German—Standerat, French—Conseil des Etats) and and a lower council
or National Council (German—Nationalrat, French—Conseil National)
Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Arnold KOLLER
(1990 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Flavio
COTTI (term runs concurrently with that of president)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut
Hubacher, chairman; Radical Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno Hunziker, president;
Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Eva Segmuller-Weber, president;
Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans Uhlmann, president; Workers' Party (PdA),
Armand Magnin, secretary general; National Action Party (NA), Hans Zwicky,
chairman; Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz Jaeger, president; Republican
Movement (Rep), Dr. James Schworzenboch, Franz Baumgartner, leaders; Liberal
Party (LPS), Gilbert Coutau, president; Evangelical People's Party (EVP), Max
Dunki, president; Progressive Organizations of Switzerland (POCH),
Georg Degen, secretary; Federation of Ecology Parties (GP), Laurent
Rebeaud, president; Autonomous Socialist Party (PSA), Werner Carobbio,
secretary
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: Council of State—last held throughout 1987 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(46 total) CVP 19, FDP 14, SPS 5, SVP 4, others 4;
National Council—last held 18 October 1987 (next to be held October 1991); results—FDP 22.9%, CVP 20.0%, SPS 18.4%, SVP 11.0%, GP 4.8%, others 22.9%; seats—(200 total) FDP 51, CVP 42, SPS 41, SVP 25, GP 9, others 32