Bolivia
chief of state: President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since
17 October 2003); Vice President (vacant); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 17
October 2003); Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 30 June 2002
(next to be held NA June 2007)
election results: as a result of no candidate winning a majority in
the 30 June 2002 election, Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA Bustamante was
chosen president by Congress; Congressional votes - Gonzalo SANCHEZ
DE LOZADA Bustamante 84, Evo MORALES 43; note - following the
resignation of the elected president on 17 October 2003, Vice
President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert assumed the presidency
Bosnia and Herzegovina
chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency
Borislav PARAVAC (chairman since 28 October 2004; presidency member
since 10 April 2003 - Serb) other members of the three-member
rotating (every eight months) presidency: Dragan COVIC (since 5
October 2002 - Croat) and Sulejman TIHIC (since 5 October 2002 -
Bosniak); note - Mirko SAROVIC resigned 2 April 2003
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan
TERZIC (since 20 December 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman;
approved by the National House of Representatives
elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one
Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she
was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the
chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 5
October 2002 (next to be held NA 2006); the chairman of the Council
of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the
National House of Representatives
election results: percent of vote - Mirko SAROVIC with 35.5% of the
Serb vote was elected chairman of the collective presidency for the
first eight months; Dragan COVIC received 61.5% of the Croat vote;
Sulejman TIHIC received 37% of the Bosniak vote
note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Niko
LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC
(since NA 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since NA 2003); President
of the Republika Srpska: Dragan CAVIC (since 28 November 2002)
Botswana
chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998)
and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and
Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held
NA October 2004); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Festus MOGAE elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - 54.3%
Brazil
chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 6 October
2002 (next to be held 1 October 2006, with a runoff on 29 October
2006 if necessary); runoff election held 27 October 2002
election results: in runoff election 27 October 2002, Luiz Inacio
LULA DA SILVA (PT) was elected with 61.3% of the vote; Jose SERRA
(PSDB) 38.7%
British Indian Ocean Territory
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004);
Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside
in the UK
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and
administrator appointed by the monarch
British Virgin Islands
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October
2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June
2003)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of
the Legislative Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
appointed chief minister by the governor
Brunei
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL
Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief
of state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
(since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of
state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by
the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a
Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on
religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the
monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of
Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the
succession to the throne if the need arises
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Bulgaria
chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January
2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime
Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24 July 2001); Deputy
Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24 July 2001), Lidiya SHULEVA
(since 24 July 2001), and Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
elected by the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 11 November
and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the
Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and
elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated
by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly
election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote
- Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%
Burkina Faso
chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15
October 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6
November 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 15 November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); in
April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential
term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005, and allowing
the president to be reelected only once; it is unclear whether this
amendment will be applied retroactively or not; prime minister
appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 87.5%
percent of the vote
Burma
chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October
2004)
cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta,
so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18
September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC); the SPDC oversees the cabinet
elections: none