Romania
chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December
2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29
December 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 28 November 2004, with runoff between the top two
candidates held 12 December 2004 (next to be held 28 November 2009
and 12 December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian
NASTASE 48.77%
Russia
chief of state: President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN
(acting president since 31 December 1999, president since 7 May 2000)
head of government: Premier Mikhail Yefimovich FRADKOV (since 5
March 2004); Deputy Premier Aleksandr Dmitriyevich ZHUKOV (since 9
March 2004)
cabinet: Ministries of the Government or "Government" composed of
the premier and his deputy, ministers, and selected other
individuals; all are appointed by the president
note: there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides
staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential
decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a
Security Council also reports directly to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008); note
- no vice president; if the president dies in office, cannot
exercise his powers because of ill health, is impeached, or resigns,
the premier succeeds him; the premier serves as acting president
until a new presidential election is held, which must be within
three months; premier appointed by the president with the approval
of the Duma
election results: Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN reelected president;
percent of vote - Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN 71.2%, Nikolay
KHARITONOV 13.7%, other (no candidate above 5%) 15.1%
Rwanda
chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March
2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: last held 25 August 2003 (next to be held NA 2008)
election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in first direct
popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%,
Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%
Saint Helena
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952)
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY
(since 15 October 2004)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio
officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by
the monarch
Saint Kitts and Nevis
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952), represented by Governor General Cuthbert Montraville
SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July
1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation
with the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
prime minister appointed by the governor general
Saint Lucia
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since
September 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth Davis ANTHONY (since 24
May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
prime minister appointed by the governor general
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC
of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Albert DUPUY
(since 10 January 2005)
head of government: President of the General Council Marc
PLANTAGENEST (since NA)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; election last held, first round - 21 April 2002, second round
- 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prefect appointed by the
French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
president of the General Council is elected by the members of the
council
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir
Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29
March 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by
the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the
governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Samoa
chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state
from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA
(since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from
1992 and assumed the duties of acting prime minister in 1996, when
former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health;
TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after
TOFILAU died; Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of
state on the prime minister's advice
elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new
chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve
a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of
state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
San Marino
chief of state: cochiefs of state Captain Regent Claudio
MUCCIOLI and Captain Regent Antonello BACCIOCHI (for the period 1
October 2005 - 31 March 2006)
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political
Affairs Fabio BERARDI (15 December 2003)
cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council
for a five-year term
elections: cochiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great
and General Council for a six-month term; election last held NA
September 2005 (next to be held March 2006); secretary of state for
foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General
Council for a five-year term; election last held 13 December 2003
(next to be held June 2006 when general elections are scheduled)
election results: Claudio MUCCIOLI and Antonello BACCIOCHI elected
captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA%; Fabio BERARDI
elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs;
percent of legislative vote - NA%
note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council)
selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs
of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the
Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which
has 10 other members, all selected by the Grand and General Council;
assisting the captains regent are 10 secretaries of state; the
secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some of the
prerogatives of a prime minister