Peru
chief of state: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July
2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice
President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July
2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice
President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006)
note: Prime Minister Yehude SIMON Munaro (since 14 October 2008)
does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands of the
president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a nonconsecutive reelection); presidential and
congressional elections held 9 April 2006 with runoff election held
4 June 2006; next to be held in April 2011
election results: Alan GARCIA elected president in runoff election;
percent of vote - Alan GARCIA 52.5%, Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 47.5%
Philippines
chief of state: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since
20 January 2001); note - president is both chief of state and head
of government
head of government: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20
January 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with consent of
Commission of Appointments
elections: president and vice president (Manuel "Noli" DE CASTRO)
elected on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year
term; election last held on 10 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2010)
election results: Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO elected president; percent
of vote - Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO 40%, Fernando POE 37%, three
others 23%
Pitcairn Islands
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952); represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand
and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands George FERGUSSON
(since April 2006); Commissioner (nonresident) Leslie JAQUES (since
September 2003) serves as liaison between the governor and the
Island Council
head of government: Governor George FERGUSSON (since April 2006);
Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Mike WARREN (since 1
January 2008)
cabinet: NA
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner
appointed by the monarch; island mayor elected by popular vote for a
three-year term; election last held December 2004 (next to be held
in December 2007)
election results: Jay WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the
Island Council
Poland
chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December
2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November
2007); Deputy Prime Ministers Waldemar PAWLAK (since 16 November
2007) and Grzegorz SCHETYNA (since 16 November 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and
the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and
the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 9 and 23 October
2005 (next to be held in the fall 2010); prime minister and deputy
prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm
election results: Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of
popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%
Portugal
chief of state: President Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 9
March 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de
Sousa (since 12 March 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative
body to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 22 January 2006
(next to be held in January 2011); following legislative elections,
the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition
is usually appointed prime minister by the president
election results: Anibal CAVACO SILVA elected president; percent of
vote - Anibal CAVACO SILVA 50.6%, Manuel ALEGRE 20.7%, Mario Alberto
Nobre Lopes SOARES 14.3%, Jeronimo DE SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%
Puerto Rico
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US
(since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20
January 2001)
head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January
2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the
legislature
elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated
territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US
president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic
and Republican presidential primary elections; governor elected by
popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last
held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
election results: Luis FORTUNO elected governor with 52.8% of the
vote, he will take office on 2 January 2009
Qatar
chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al-Thani (since 27 June
1995 when, as heir apparent, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin
Hamad Al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Heir Apparent TAMIM bin Hamad
bin Khalifa Al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir
Apparent by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also
holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of
the Armed Forces
head of government: Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir
Al-Thani (since 3 April 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin
Hamad al-ATIYAH (since 3 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarch is hereditary
note: in April 2007, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member
Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has limited consultative
powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the
first election for the CMC was held in March 1999
Romania
chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December
2004); note - President Traian BASESCU was suspended by vote of
parliament on 19 April 2007, but resumed his duties on 23 May 2007
after a popular referendum confirmed that his impeachment should not
stand
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
(eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004
with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004
(next to be held in November-December 2009); prime minister
appointed by the president with the consent of the Parliament
election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian
NASTASE 48.77%
Russia
chief of state: President Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV
(since 7 May 2008)
head of government: Premier Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 8
May 2008); First Deputy Premiers Igor Ivanovich SHUVALOV and Viktor
Alekseyevich ZUBKOV (since 12 May 2008); Deputy Premiers Sergey
Borisovich IVANOV (since 12 May 2008), Dmitriy Nikolayevich KOZAK
(since 14 October 2008), Aleksey Leonidovich KUDRIN (since 24
September 2007), Igor Ivanovich SECHIN (since 12 May 2008), Sergey
Semenovich SOBYANIN (since 12 May 2008), Aleksandr Dmitriyevich
ZHUKOV (since 9 March 2004), and Dmitry Nikolayevich KOZAK (since 14
October 2008)
cabinet: Ministries of the Government or "Government" composed of
the premier and his deputies, 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
(eligible for a second term); election last held 2 March 2008 (next
to be held in March 2012); note - no vice president; if the
president dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill
health, is impeached, or resigns, 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: Dmitriy MEDVEDEV elected president; percent of
vote - Dmitry MEDVEDEV 70.2%, Gennady ZYUGANOV 17.7%, Vladimir
ZHIRINOVSKY 9.4%, Andrey BOGDONOV 1.3%
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: President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(eligible for a second term); elections last held 25 August 2003
(next to be held in 2010)
election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in first direct
popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%,
Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%