South Africa
chief of state: President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 25
September 2008); Executive Deputy President Baleka MBETE (since 25
September 2008); note - Thabo MBEKI resigned as president effective
25 September 2008; the president is both the chief of state and head
of government
head of government: President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 25 September
2008); Executive Deputy President Baleka MBETE (since 25 September
2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on
25 September 2008 (next to be held in April 2009); note - Kgalema
MOTLANTHE is serving out the term of Thabo MBEKI
election results: Kgalema MOTLANTHE elected president; National
Assembly vote - Kgalema MOTLANTHE 269, Joe SEREMANE 50, other 41;
note - Thabo MBEKI resigned as president effective 25 September
2008, Kgalema MOTLANTHE is serving the remainder of his term
Spain
chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975);
Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968
head of government: President of the Government (Prime Minister
equivalent) Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004);
First Vice President (and Minister of the Presidency) Maria Teresa
FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA (since 18 April 2004) and Second Vice President
(and Minister of Economy and Finance) Pedro SOLBES Mira (since 18
April 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are
non-binding
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and
elected by the National Assembly; election last held on 9 and 11
April 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); vice presidents
appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president
election results: Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO reelected President
of the Government; percent of National Assembly vote - 46.94%
Sri Lanka
chief of state: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSA (since 19
November 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government; Ratnasiri WICKREMANAYAKE (since 21 November
2005) holds the largely ceremonial title of prime minister
head of government: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November
2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the
prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 November 2005
(next to be held in 2011)
election results: Mahinda RAJAPAKSA elected president; percent of
vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSA 50.3%, Ranil WICKREMESINGHE 48.4%, other
1.3%
Sudan
chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since
16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the
National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front
or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held
no later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
Agreement
election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president;
percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar
Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined
vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular
opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of
guarantees for a free and fair election
note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary
Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served
concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister,
and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed
president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for
the first time in March 1996
Suriname
chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since
12 August 2000); Vice President Ramdien SARDJOE (since 3 August
2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12
August 2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate
receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National
Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger United
People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national, local, and
regional councils), for five-year terms (no term limits); election
last held on 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN reelected president;
percent of vote - Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN 62.9%, Rabin PARMESSAR
35.4%, other 1.7%; note - after two votes in the parliament failed
to secure a two-thirds majority for a candidate, the vote then went
to a special session of the United People's Assembly on 3 August 2005
Svalbard
chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January
1991)
head of government: Governor Per SEFLAND (since 1 October 2005);
Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since 2003)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant
governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of
Justice
Swaziland
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since
16 October 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by
the monarch
elections: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by
the monarch from among the elected members of the House of Assembly
Sweden
chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September
1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree,
daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5
October 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election
last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010)
election results: Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175
out of 349 votes
Switzerland
chief of state: President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1
January 2008); Vice President Hans-Rudolf MERZ (since 1 January
2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government representing the Federal Council; the Federal Council is
the formal chief of state and head of government whose council
members, rotating in one-year terms as federal president, represent
the Council
head of government: President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1 January
2008); Vice President Hans-Rudolf MERZ (since 1 January 2008)
cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal
(in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal
Assembly usually from among its members for a four-year term
elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal
Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for a
one-year term (they may not serve consecutive terms); election last
held on 12 December 2007 (next to be held in December 2008)
election results: Pascal COUCHEPIN elected president; percent of
Federal Assembly vote - 80.0%; Hans-Rudolf MERZ elected vice
president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 86.5%
Syria
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000);
Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006) oversees
foreign policy; Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006)
oversees cultural policy
head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10
September 2003); Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdallah
al-DARDARI (since 14 June 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president approved by popular referendum for a second
seven-year term (no term limits); referendum last held on 27 May
2007 (next to be held in May 2014); the president appoints the vice
presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers
election results: Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of
vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.6%