Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)
note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav HAVEL stepped down
from office on 2 February 2003 having served exactly 10 years;
parliament finally elected a successor on 28 February 2003 after two
inconclusive elections in January 2003
head of government: Prime Minister Jiri PAROUBEK (since 25 April
2005), Deputy Prime Ministers Zdenek SKROMACH (since 4 August 2004),
Martin JAHN (since 4 August 2004), Pavel NEMEC (since 4 August
2004), Milan SIMONOVSKY (since 4 August 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
last successful election held 28 February 2003 (after earlier
elections held 15 and 24 January 2003 were inconclusive; next
election to be held January 2008); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February
2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round;
combined votes of both chambers of parliament)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat
(81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year
terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of
Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 5-6 November and 12-13
November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Chamber of Deputies -
last held 14-15 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - ODS 37, KDU-CSL 14, Open Democracy 13, CSSD 7, Caucus Open
Democracy 7, independents 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - CSSD 30.2%, ODS 24.5%, KSCM 18.5%, KDU-CSL & US-DEU
coalition 14.3%, other minor 12.5%; seats by party - CSSD 70, ODS
57, KSCM 41, KDU-CSL 21, US-DEU 10, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen
are appointed by the president for a 10-year term
Political parties and leaders:
Caucus SNK [Josef ZOSER]; Christian and Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Miroslav KALOUSEK,
chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Jirina NOVAKOVA,
chairman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Mirek TOPOLANEK,
chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Miroslav
GREBENICEK, chairman]; Communist Party of Czechoslovakia or KSC
[Miroslav STEPAN, chairman]; Czech National Social Party of CSNS
[Jaroslav ROVNY, chairman]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD
[Stanislav GROSS, acting chairman]; European Democrats [Jan KASL];
Freedom Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU [Hana Marvanova,
chairwoman]; Open Democracy [Sona PAUKRTOVA, chairwoman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Bohemian and Moravian Trade Union Confederation [Milan STECH]
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE,
UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin PALOUS
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William J. CABANISS
embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663
FAX: [420] (2) 5753-0583
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (identical to the flag of
the former Czechoslovakia)