Equatorial Guinea
chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.)
Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized
power in a military coup)
head of government: Prime Minister Ignacio MILAM Tang (since 8 July
2008);
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(no term limits); election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be
held in 2016); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed
by the president
election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president;
percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 95.8%, Placido Mico
ABOGO 3.6%; elections marred by widespread fraud
Eritrea
chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June
1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993)
cabinet: State Council the collective executive authority; members
appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and
only election held on 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as
the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in
December 2001 as anticipated)
election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%, other 5%
Estonia
chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9
October 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)
cabinet: Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by
Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure
two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the
Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus
members of local councils) elects the president, choosing between
the two candidates with the largest number of votes; election last
held on 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011);
prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23
September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received
174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left
blank or invalid
Ethiopia
chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8
October 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since August 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994
constitution; ministers selected by the prime minister and approved
by the House of People's Representatives
elections: president elected by the House of People's
Representatives for a six-year term (eligible for a second term);
election last held on 9 October 2007 (next to be held in October
2013); prime minister designated by the party in power following
legislative elections
election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of
vote by the House of People's Representatives - 79%
European Union
chief of union: President of the European Commission
Jose Manuel BARROSO (since 2004)
cabinet: European Commission (composed of 27 members, one from each
member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy
areas)
elections: the president of the European Commission designated by
member governments and confirmed by the European Parliament; working
from member state recommendations, the Commission president then
assembles a "college" of Commission members; the European Parliament
confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; the next
confirmation process will likely be held in January 2015
note: the European Council brings together heads of state and
government and the president of the European Commission and meets at
least four times a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the
major political issues relating to European integration and to issue
general policy guidelines; leaders of the EU member states appointed
then Belgian Prime Minister Herman VAN ROMPUY to be the first
full-time president of the European Council in November 2009; he
took office on 1 December 2009 and will serve a
two-and-one-half-year term, renewable once; his core
responsibilities include chairing the four summits each year and
providing continuity beyond the rotating, six-month presidencies of
the Council of the EU
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Nigel HAYWOOD (since 16 October 2010)
is the Queen's representative; Chief Executive Dr. Tim THOROGOOD
(since 3 January 2008)
cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative
Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial
secretary), and the governor; the governor must obey the rulings of
the Executive Council on domestic affairs
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch
Faroe Islands
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since
14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Dan Michael
KNUDSEN, chief administrative officer (since 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Kaj Leo JOHANNESSEN (since 26
September 2008)
cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed
by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held
on 19 January 2008 (next to be held no later than January 2012)
election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister in 2008;
governing coalition collapses in September 2008, Kaj Leo JOHANNESSEN
becomes prime minister
Fiji
chief of state: President Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU (since 30 July
2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10
September 2000); note - although QARASE is still the legal prime
minister, he has been confined to his home island; former President
ILOILOVATU appointed Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA interim prime
minister under the military regime
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament and responsible to Parliament; note - coup
leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA has appointed an interim cabinet
elections: under the constitution, president elected by the Great
Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
in 2007 the Great Council of Chiefs was suspended from its role in
electing the president; prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU was appointed by Chief
Justice Anthony GATES
Finland
chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Mari KIVINIEMI (since 22 June
2010); Deputy Prime Minister Jyrki KATAINEN (since 19 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the
president, responsible to parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 January 2006
(next to be held in January 2012); the president appoints the prime
minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the
majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament
must approve the appointment; Prime Minister VANHANEN reelected on
17 April 2007
election results: percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 46.3%, Sauli
NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti VANHANEN (Kesk) 18.6%, Heidi HAUTALA
(VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and NIINISTO was held
29 January 2006 - HALONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%; Matti VANHANEN
reelected prime minister; election results 121-71
note: government coalition - Kesk, KOK, VIHR, and SFP
France
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Francois FILLON (since 17 May
2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the
suggestion of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held on 22 April and 6 May 2007 (next to be held in
the spring of 2012); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Nicolas SARKOZY elected; first round: percent of
vote - Nicolas SARKOZY 31.2%, Segolene ROYAL 25.9%, Francois BAYROU
18.6%, Jean-Marie LE PEN 10.4%, others 13.9%; second round: SARKOZY
53.1%, ROYAL 46.9%