Ecuador
chief of state: President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January
2003); Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January
2003); Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same
ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (no immediate
reelection); election last held 20 October 2002; runoff election
held 24 November 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006)
election results: results of the 24 November 2002 runoff election -
Lucio GUTIERREZ elected president; percent of vote - Lucio GUTIERREZ
54.3%; Alvaro NOBOA 45.7%
Egypt
chief of state: President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14
October 1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF (since 9 July 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president nominated by the People's Assembly for a
six-year term, the nomination must then be validated by a national,
popular referendum; national referendum last held 26 September 1999
(next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: national referendum validated President MUBARAK's
nomination by the People's Assembly to a fourth term
El Salvador
chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA (since 1
June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA (since 1 June
2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 21 March
2004 (next to be held NA March 2009)
election results: Elias Antonio SACA elected president; percent of
vote - Elias Antonio SACA (ARENA) 57.7%, Schafik HANDAL (FMLN)
35.6%, Hector SILVA (CDU-PDC) 3.9%, other 2.8%
Equatorial Guinea
chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.)
Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized
power in a military coup)
head of government: Prime Minister Miguel Abia BITEO BORICO (since
14 June 2004); First Deputy Prime Minister Miguel OYONO NDONG (since
NA January 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Demetrio Elo NDONG NZE FUMU
(since NA January 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held NA December
2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president
election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president;
percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino
Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud
Eritrea
chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June
1993); note - the president is both the 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);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority;
members appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly; election last
held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National
Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as
anticipated)
election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%
Estonia
chief of state: President Arnold RUUTEL (since 8 October
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Juhan PARTS (since 10 April 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
approved by Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if
he or she does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds
of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up
of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the
president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest
percentage of votes; election last held 21 September 2001 (next to
be held in the fall of 2006); prime minister nominated by the
president and approved by Parliament
election results: Arnold RUUTEL elected president on 21 September
2001 by a 367-member electoral assembly that convened following
Parliament's failure in August to elect then-President MERI's
successor; on the second ballot of voting, RUUTEL received 186 votes
to Parliament Speaker Toomas SAVI's 155; the remaining 26 ballots
were either left blank or invalid
Ethiopia
chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8
October 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994
constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and
approved by the House of People's Representatives
elections: president elected by the House of People's
Representatives for a six-year term; election last held 8 October
2001 (next to be held NA October 2007); prime minister designated by
the party in power following legislative elections
election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of
vote by the House of People's Representatives - 100%
European Union
chief of union: President of the European Commission
Jose DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)
cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each
member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy
areas)
elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by
member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other
Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire
Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004
(next to be held 2009)
election results: European Parliament approved the European
Commission by an approval vote of 449-149 with 82 abstentions
note: the European Council brings together heads of state and
government and the president of the European Commission and meets at
least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major
political issues relating to European integration and to issue
general policy guidelines
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3 December 2002);
Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since NA March 2003); Financial
Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA)
cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative
Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial
secretary), and the governor
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch
Faroe Islands
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since
14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS,
chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3
February 2004)
cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held
20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008)
election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent
of parliamentary vote - NA%
note: coalition of Social Democrats, Union Party, and People's Party