Turks and Caicos Islands
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952); represented by Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 5
August 2008)
head of government: Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 14 August
2009); note - the office of premier is suspended by the Order in
Council, effective 14 August 2009
cabinet: under provisions of the Order in Council, the cabinet is
suspended effective 14 August 2009 and replaced by an Advisory
Council appointed by the governor
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch
note: following an investigation into allegations of widespread
corruption and misconduct within the Turks and Caicos Government,
the UK foreign minister directed the governor to bring into effect
on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council suspending Ministerial
government and the House of Assembly, and imposing direct rule for a
period of up to two years
Tuvalu
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA (since 14 August
2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime
minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members
of parliament; election last held 14 August 2006 (next to be held
following parliamentary elections in 2010)
election results: Apisai IELEMIA elected prime minister in a
parliamentary election on 14 August 2006
Uganda
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI
(since seizing power 26 January 1986); note - the president is both
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since
seizing power 26 January 1986); Prime Minister Apolo NSIBAMBI (since
5 April 1999); note - the prime minister assists the president in
the supervision of the cabinet
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected
legislators
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in February
2011)
election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president;
percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 59.3%, Kizza
BESIGYE 37.4%, other 3.3%
Ukraine
chief of state: President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23
January 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Yuliya TYMOSHENKO (since 18
December 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr TURCHYNOV
(since 18 December 2007); Deputy Prime Ministers Hryhoriy NEMYRYA
and Ivan VASYUNYK (since 18 December 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers selected by the prime minister; the
only exceptions are the foreign and defense ministers, who are
chosen by the president
note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC
originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; the
NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on
domestic and international matters and advising the president; a
Presidential Secretariat helps draft presidential edicts and
provides policy support to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); note - a special repeat runoff
presidential election between Viktor YUSHCHENKO and Viktor
YANUKOVYCH took place on 26 December 2004 after the earlier 21
November 2004 contest - won by YANUKOVYCH - was invalidated by the
Ukrainian Supreme Court because of widespread and significant
violations; under constitutional reforms that went into effect 1
January 2006, the majority in parliament takes the lead in naming
the prime minister
election results: Viktor YUSHCHENKO elected president; percent of
vote - Viktor YUSHCHENKO 52%, Viktor YANUKOVYCH 44.2%
United Arab Emirates
chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid
al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi)
(since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD
BIN RASHID al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin
Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers
SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and HAMDAN bin
Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the
seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional
authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions
federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi)
and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for
five-year terms (no term limits) from among the seven FSC members;
election last held 3 November 2004 upon the death of the UAE's
Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan al Nuhayyan
(next to be held in 2009); prime minister and deputy prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president by
a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum
unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his
brother Sheikh Maktum bin Rashid al-Maktum
United Kingdom
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14
November 1948)
head of government: Prime Minister James Gordon BROWN (since 27 June
2007)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually the prime minister
United States
chief of state: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20
January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January
2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January
2009); Vice President Joseph BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each
state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible
for a second term); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be
held on 6 November 2012)
election results: Barack H. OBAMA elected president; percent of
popular vote - Barack H. OBAMA 52.4%, John MCCAIN 46.3%, other 1.3%;
Uruguay
chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1
March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March
2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with
parliamentary approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive
terms); election last held 25 October 2009, with a runoff election
scheduled for 29 November 2009 (next to be held in October 2014)
election results: Jose MUJICA wins first round; percent of vote -
Jose MUJICA 48.5%, Luis Alberto LACALLE 29.2%, Pedro BORDABERRY 17%;
other 5.3%; note - a runoff election will be held on 29 November 2009
Uzbekistan
chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March
1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)
head of government: Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (since 11
December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam AZIMOV (since 2
January 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with
approval of the Supreme Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(eligible for a second term; previously was a five-year term,
extended by constitutional amendment in 2002); election last held 23
December 2007 (next to be held in 2014); prime minister, ministers,
and deputy ministers appointed by the president
election results: Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote
- Islom KARIMOV 88.1%, Asliddin RUSTAMOV 3.2%, Dilorom
T0SHMUHAMEDOVA 2.9%, Akmal SAIDOV 2.6%
Vanuatu
chief of state: President Iolu Johnson ABIL (since 3
September 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 22
September 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 22 September
2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
responsible to parliament
elections: president elected for a five-year term by an electoral
college consisting of parliament and the presidents of the regional
councils; election for president last held 2 September 2009 (next to
be held in 2014); following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime
minister by parliament from among its members; election for prime
minister last held 22 September 2008 (next to be held following
general elections in 2012)
election results: Iolu Johnson ABIL elected president, with 41 votes
out of 58, on the third ballot on 2 September 2009