Jersey
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14 June
2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Frank WALKER (since December
2005); Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since February 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet (since December 2005)
elections: ministers of the Cabinet including the chief minister are
elected by the Assembly of States; the monarch is hereditary;
lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch
Jordan
chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999);
Prince HUSSEIN (born 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH II, is
considered to be first in line to inherit the throne
head of government: Prime Minister Nader al-DAHABI (since 25
November 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
with the monarch
elections: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by
the monarch
Kazakhstan
chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV
(chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected
president 1 December 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 10 January
2007); Deputy Prime Ministers Umirzak SHUKEYEV (since 27 August
2007) and Yerbol ORYNBAYEV (since 29 October 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(no term limits); election last held 4 December 2005 (next to be
held in 2012); prime minister and first deputy prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 91.1%, Zharmakhan A.
TUYAKBAI 6.6%, Alikhan M. BAIMENOV 1.6%
note: President NAZARBAYEV arranged a referendum in 1995 that
extended his term of office and expanded his presidential powers:
only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss
the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his
discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities
Kenya
chief of state: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December
2002); Vice President Stephene Kalonzo MUSYOKA (since 10 January
2008);
head of government: Prime Minister Raila Amolo ODINGA (since 17
April 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); in addition to receiving the largest
number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential candidate must
also win 25% or more of the vote in at least five of Kenya's seven
provinces and one area to avoid a runoff; election last held 27
December 2007 (next to be held in December 2012); vice president
appointed by the president
election results: President Mwai KIBAKI reelected; percent of vote -
Mwai KIBAKI 46%, Raila ODINGA 44%, Kalonzo MUSYOKA 9%
Kiribati
chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003);
Vice President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief
of state and head of government
head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
President Teima ONORIO
cabinet: 12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the
members of the House of Parliament
elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential
candidates from among its members and then those candidates compete
in a general election; president is elected by popular vote for a
four-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 17
October 2007 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed by
the president
election results: Anote TONG 63.7%, Nabuti MWEMWENIKARAWA 32.9%
Korea, North
chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note -
on 3 September 2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA)
reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a
position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA
reelected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium also with
responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic
credentials
head of government: Premier KIM Yong Il (since 11 April 2007); Vice
Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun (since 3
September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003), THAE Jong Su
(since 16 October 2007)
cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's
Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA
elections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September
2008)
election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees
for positions and ran unopposed
Korea, South
chief of state: President LEE Myung-bak (since 25
February 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister HAN Seung-soo (since 29 February
2008)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
minister's recommendation
elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year
term; election last held 19 December 2007 (next to be held on in
December 2012); prime minister appointed by president with consent
of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
on prime minister's recommendation
election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president on 19 December
2002; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang
(GNP) 46.6%; others 4.5%; LEE Myung-bak elected president on 19
December 2007; percent of vote - LEE Myung-bak (GNP) 48.7%; CHUNG
Dong-young (UNDP) 26.1%); LEE Hoi-chang (independent) 15.1; others
10.1%
Kosovo
chief of state: President Fatmir SEJDIU (since 10 February
2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Hashim THACI (since 9 January
2008)
cabinet: ministers; elected by the Kosovo Assembly
elections: the president is elected for a five-year term by the
Kosovo Assembly; election last held 9 January 2008 (next to be held
by in 2013); the prime minister is elected by the Kosovo Assembly
election results: Fatmir SEJDIU reelected president; first round:
Fatmir SEDIU 62, Naim MALOKU 37; second round: Fatmir SEDIU 61, Naim
MALOKU 37; and Hashim THACI elected to be prime minister by the
Assembly
Kuwait
chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since
29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah
head of government: Prime Minister NASIR MUHAMMAD al-Ahmad al-Sabah
(since 3 April 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR Mubarak
al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers
MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006) and
Faysal al-HAJJI (since 5 April 2007); note - the Amir accepted the
resignation of the prime minister and cabinet on 1 December 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
approved by the Amir
elections: none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime
minister and deputy prime ministers
Kyrgyzstan
chief of state: President Kurmanbek BAKIEV (since 14
August 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Igor CHUDINOV (since 24 December
2007)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers proposed by the prime minister,
appointed by the president; ministers in charge of defense and
security, appointed solely by the president
elections: Kurmanbek BAKIEV elected by popular vote for a five-year
term (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 July 2005
(next scheduled for 2010); prime minister nominated by the
parliamentary party holding more than 50% of the seats; if no such
party exists, the president selects the party that will nominate a
prime minister
election results: Kurmanbek BAKIEV elected president; percent of
vote - Kurmanbek BAKIEV 88.6%, Tursunbai BAKIR-UULU 3.9%, other
candidates 7.5%