Barbados
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS
(since 1 June 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Fruendel STUART (since 23 October
2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister
recommends the deputy prime minister
Belarus
chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20
July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Mikhail MYASNIKOVICH (since 28
December 2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since
December 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
first election took place on 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to
the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in
1999, however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a
November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held on 9 September
2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and
allowed the president to run in a third (19 March 2006) and fourth
election (19 December 2010); prime minister and deputy prime
ministers appointed by the president
election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent
of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 79.7%, Andrey SANNIKAU 2.6%, other
candidates 17.7%; note - election marred by electoral fraud
Belgium
chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir
Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Yves LETERME (since 25 November
2009); note - the king accepted the resignation of LETERME on 26
April 2010; LETERME remains as caretaker
cabinet: Council of Ministers are formally appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by
the monarch and then approved by parliament
Belize
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17
November 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Dean Oliver BARROW (since 8
February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar VEGA (since 12 February
2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister
recommends the deputy prime minister
Benin
chief of state: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April
2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); runoff election held on 19 March 2006
(next to be held in March 2011)
election results: Thomas YAYI Boni elected president; percent of
vote - Thomas YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%
Bermuda
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor Sir Richard GOZNEY (since 12 December 2007)
head of government: Premier Paula COX (since 29 October 2010);
Deputy Premier Derrick BURGESS
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed
premier by the governor
Bhutan
chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14
December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the
throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him;
the nearly two-year delay between the former King's abdication and
his son's coronation on 6 November 2008 was to ensure an
astrologically auspicious coronation date and to give the new king,
who had limited experience, deeper administrative expertise under
the guidance of this father
head of government: Prime Minister Jigme THINLEY (since 9 April 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the
monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed,
five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council
(Lodoi Tsokde); members are nominated by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary, but democratic reforms in
July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the
monarch with two-thirds vote; election of a new National Assembly
occurred in March 2008; the leader of the majority party nominated
as the prime minister
Bolivia
chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22
January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January
2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22
January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January
2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a five-year term and are eligible for a single
re-election; election last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held
in 2014)
election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent
of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 64%; Manfred REYES VILLA 26%; Samuel
DORIA MEDINA Arana 6%; Rene JOAQUINO 2%; other 2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency
Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (chairman of the presidency since 10 November
2010; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb); other members
of the three-member presidency rotate every eight months: Bakir
IZETBEGOVIC (presidency member since 3 October 2010 - Bosniak);
Zeljko KOMSIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Croat)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola
SPIRIC (since 11 January 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman;
approved by the state-level House of Representatives
elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one
Croat, one Serb) elected by popular vote for a four-year term
(eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years);
the chairmanship rotates every eight months and resumes where it
left off following each general election; election last held on 3
October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014); the chairman of the
Council of Ministers appointed by the presidency and confirmed by
the state-level House of Representatives
election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 48.9% of
the votes for the Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC with 60.6% of the votes
for the Croat seat; Bakir IZETBEGOVIC with 34.9% of the votes for
the Bosniak seat
note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Borjana
KRISTO (since 21 February 2007); Vice Presidents Spomenka MICIC
(since 21 February 2007) and Mirsad KEBO (since 21 February 2007);
President of the Republika Srpska: Milorad DODIK (since 3 October
2010); took office 15 November 2010
Botswana
chief of state: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1
April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April
2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 October 2009
(next to be held in October 2014); vice president appointed by the
president
election results: Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA elected president; percent
of National Assembly vote - NA%