Serbia
chief of state: President Boris TADIC (since 11 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Mirko CVETKOVIC (since 7 July
2008)
cabinet: Federal Ministries act as cabinet
elections: president elected by direct vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 3 February 2008
(next to be held in 2013); prime minister elected by the National
Assembly
election results: Boris TADIC elected president in the second round
of voting; Boris TADIC received 51.2% of the vote and Tomislav
NIKOLIC 48.8%
Seychelles
chief of state: President James Alix MICHEL (since 14
April 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for two more terms); election last held 28-30 July 2006
(next to be held in 2011)
election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent
of vote - James MICHEL 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 45.71%, Philippe
BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first election in which President
James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president
after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004
Sierra Leone
chief of state: President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17
September 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September
2007)
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the
approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible
to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 11 August 2007 and
8 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: second round results; percent of vote - Ernest Bai
KOROMA 54.6%, Solomon BEREWA 45.4%
Singapore
chief of state: President S R NATHAN (since 1 September
1999)
note: uses S R NATHAN but his full name and the one used in formal
communications is Sellapan RAMANATHAN
head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August
2004); Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Senior
Minister Shunmugam JAYAKUMAR (since 1 April 2009); Minister Mentor
LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Minister TEO Chee
Huan (since 1 April 2009) and Deputy Prime Minister WONG Kan Seng
(since 1 September 2005)
cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term;
appointed on 17 August 2005 (next election to be held by August
2011); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or
leader of majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by
president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
election results: Sellapan Rama (S R) NATHAN appointed president in
August 2005 after Presidential Elections Committee disqualified
three other would-be candidates; scheduled election not held
Slovakia
chief of state: President Ivan GASPAROVIC (since 15 June
2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 4 July 2006);
Deputy Prime Ministers Dusan CAPLOVIC, Robert KALINAK, Stefan
HARABIN, Jan MIKOLAJ (since 4 July 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 21 March and 4
April 2009 (next to be held no later than April 2014); following
National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the president
election results: Ivan GASPAROVIC reelected president in runoff;
percent of vote - Ivan GASPAROVIC 55.5%, Iveta RADICOVA 44.5%
Slovenia
chief of state: President Danilo TURK (since 22 December
2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Borut PAHOR (since 7 November
2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
elected by the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 21 October and 11
November 2007 (next to be held in the 8 October 2012); following
National Assembly elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of a majority coalition is usually nominated to become prime
minister by the president and elected by the National Assembly;
election last held on 21 September 2008 (next National Assembly
elections to be held in 8 October 2012)
election results: Danilo TURK elected president; percent of vote -
Danilo TURK 68.2%, Alojze PETERLE 31.8%; Borut PAHOR elected prime
minister by National Assembly vote
Solomon Islands
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952); represented by Governor General Frank KABUI (since 7 July
2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Derek SIKUA (since 20 December
2007); note - Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE defeated in a no
confidence vote in parliament on 13 December 2007; SIKUA elected on
20 December 2007
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members
of Parliament
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch on the advice of parliament for up to five years
(eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
is usually elected prime minister by parliament; deputy prime
minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the
prime minister from among the members of parliament
Somalia
chief of state: Transitional Federal President Sheikh SHARIF
Sheikh Ahmed (since 31 January 2009); note - a transitional
governing entity with a five-year mandate, known as the Transitional
Federal Institutions (TFIs), was established in October 2004; the
TFIs relocated to Somalia in June 2004
head of government: Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali SHARMARKE
(since 13 February 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the
Transitional Federal Assembly
election results: Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed was elected president
by the expanded Transitional Federal Assembly in Djibouti
South Africa
chief of state: President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May
2009); Executive Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May
2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009);
Executive Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009)
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 6
May 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: Jacob ZUMA elected president; National Assembly
vote - Jacob ZUMA 277, Mvume DANDALA 47, other 76
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), Second Vice President
(and Minister of Economy and Finance) Elena SALGADO Mendez (since 8
April 2009), and Third Vice President (and Minister of Regional
Affairs) Manuel CHAVES Gonzalez (since 8 April 2009)
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%