bicameral Legislature consists of the
Senate (9 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year staggered terms) and the House of Representatives (20
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 3 November 2007 (next to be held in
November 2009); House of Representatives - last held 3 November 2007
(next to be held in November 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Covenant Party 3, Republican Party 3, Democratic Party 1,
independents 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party
- NA; seats by party - Republican Party 12, Covenant Party 4,
Democratic Party 1, independents 3
note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting
delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or
"resident representative" in Washington, DC; seats by party -
Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO)
Norway
modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats;
members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation
to serve four-year terms); note - in 2009 the number of seats will
change to 165
elections: last held 12 September 2005 (next to be held in September
2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 32.7%,
Progress Party 22.1%, Conservative Party 14.1%, Socialist Left Party
8.8%, Christian People's Party 6.8%, Center Party 6.5%, Liberal
Party 5.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - Labor Party 61, Progress
Party 38, Conservative Party 23, Socialist Left Party 15, Christian
People's Party 11, Center Party 11, Liberal Party 10
note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two
chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership in the Lagting and
three-fourths of its membership in the Odelsting
Oman
bicameral Majlis Oman consists of Majlis al-Dawla or upper
chamber (70 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory
powers only) and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber (84 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; body has some
limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only
advisory powers)
elections: last held 27 October 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: new candidates won 46 seats and 38 members of the
outgoing Majlis kept their positions; none of the 20 female
candidates were elected
Pakistan
bicameral parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the
Senate (100 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial
assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National
Assembly to serve six-year terms; one half are elected every three
years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 members elected by
popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for
non-Muslims; to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in
March 2009); National Assembly - last held 18 February 2008 (next to
be held in 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PML 38, MMA 18, PPPP 10, MQM 6, PML-N 4, PKMAP 3, ANP 2,
PPP-S 2, BNP-A 1, BNP-M 1, JWP 1, NA 1, PML-F 1, independents 12;
National Assembly - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party -
PPPP 121, PML-N 91, PML 54, MQM 25, ANP 13, MMA 6, PML-F 5, BNP-A 1,
NPP 1, PPP-S 1, independents 18; note - as a result of the 27 June
2008 by-election, PML-N gained 3 seats and PPPP gained 2 seats)
Palau
bicameral National Congress or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK)
consists of the Senate (9 seats; members elected by popular vote on
a population basis to serve four-year terms) and the House of
Delegates (16 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held in
November 2008); House of Delegates - last held 2 November 2004 (next
to be held in November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote - NA; seats -
independents 9; House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA; seats -
independents 16
Panama
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note
- in 2009, the number of seats will change to 71
elections: last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PRD 41, PA 17, PS 9, MOLIRENA 4, CD 3, PLN 3, PP 1
note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a
plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and
cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based
formula
Papua New Guinea
unicameral National Parliament (109 seats, 89
filled from open electorates and 20 from provinces and national
capital district; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms); constitution allows up to 126 seats
elections: last held from 30 June to 10 July 2007; next to be held
in June 2012
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
National Alliance 27, PNGP 8, PAP 6, URP 6, PANGU 5, PDM 5,
independents 19, others 33; note - election to 1 seat was nullified
note: 15 other parties won 4 or fewer seats; association with
political parties is fluid
Paraguay
bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of
Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies
or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 20 April 2008 (next to be
held in April 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held 20 April 2008
(next to be held in April 2013)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - ANR 15, PLRA 14, UNACE 9, PPQ 4, other 3;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
- ANR 30, PLRA 27, UNACE 15, PPQ 3, APC 2, other 3
Peru
unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la
Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 April 2006 (next to be held in April 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 21.2%, PAP 20.6%,
UN 15.3%, AF 13.1%, FC 7.1%, PP 4.1%, RN 4.0%, other 14.6%; seats by
party - UPP 45, PAP 36, UN 17, AF 13, FC 5, PP 2, RN 2
Philippines
bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or
Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years; members
elected at large by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the
House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (as a result
of May 2007 election it has 239 seats including 218 members
representing districts and 21 sectoral party-list members
representing special minorities elected on the basis of 1 seat for
every 2% of the total vote but limited to 3 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note - the Constitution
prohibits the House of Representatives from having more than 250
members)
elections: Senate - last held on 14 May 2007 (next to be held in May
2010); House of Representatives - elections last held on 14 May 2007
(next to be held in May 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Lakas-Kampi 4, LP 4, NPC 3, Nacionalista 2, independents 4,
others 6; note - there are 23 rather than 24 sitting senators
because one senator was elected mayor of Manila; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Lakas 86, Kampi 46, NPC 29, LP 21, Party-list 21, others 36
Pitcairn Islands
unicameral Island Council (10 seats; 5 members
elected by popular vote, 1 nominated by the 5 elected members, 2
appointed by the governor including 1 seat for the Island Secretary,
the Island Mayor, and a commissioner liaising between the governor
and council; elected members serve one-year terms)
elections: last held 24 December 2006 (next to be held in December
2007)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Poland
bicameral legislature consists of an upper house, the Senate
or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a
provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house, the
Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of
proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the
designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only
used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly
elections: Senate - last held 21 October 2007 (next to be held by
October 2011); Sejm elections last held 21 October 2007 (next to be
held by October 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PO 60, PiS 39, independents 1; Sejm - percent of vote by
party - PO 41.5%, PiS 32.1%, LiD 13.2%, PSL 8.9%, other 4.3%; seats
by party - PO 209, PiS 166, LiD 53, PSL 31, German minorities 1;
note - seats by party as of February 2008 - PO 209, PiS 159, LiD 53,
PSL 31, German minorities 1, nonaffiliated 7
note: one seat is assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm
only
Portugal
unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da
Republica (230 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 February 2005 (next to be held in Fall 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%,
CDU 7.6%, CDS/PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%, other 4.9%; seats by party - PS 121,
PSD 75, CDU 14, CDS/PP 12, BE 8
Puerto Rico
bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate
(at least 27 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held
November 2012); House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008
(next to be held in November 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PNP 22, PPD 5; House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA
note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner
to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US
House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor,
he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last
held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012); results -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNP 1
Qatar
unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats;
members appointed)
note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there
were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their
terms extended every year since the new constitution came into force
on 9 June 2005; the constitution provides for a new 45-member
Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect
two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the Amir would appoint the
remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to
the Majlis al-Shura
Romania
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or
Senat (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a
proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the
Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (334 seats; members are
elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to
serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 30 November 2008 (next expected to be
held in November 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 30 November
2008 (next expected to be held November 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party -
PSD-PC 34.2%, PDL 33.6%, PNL 18.7%, UDMR 6.4%, other 7.1%; seats by
alliance/party - PSD-PC 49, PDL 51, PNL 28, UDMR 9; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PC 33.1%, PDL
32.4%, PNL 18.6%, UDMR 6.2%, ethnic minorities 3.6%, other 6.1%;
seats by alliance/party - PSD-PC 114, PDL 115, PNL 65, UDMR 22,
ethnic minorities 18
Russia
bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists
of an upper house, the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (168
seats; as of July 2000, members appointed by the top executive and
legislative officials in each of the 84 federal administrative units
- oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the
federal cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg; to serve four-year
terms) and a lower house, the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma
(450 seats; as of 2007, all members elected by proportional
representation from party lists winning at least 7% of the vote;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: State Duma - last held 2 December 2007 (next to be held
in December 2011)
election results: State Duma - United Russia 64.3%, CPRF 11.5%, LDPR
8.1%, Just Russia 7.7%, other 8.4%; total seats by party - United
Russia 315, CPRF 57, LDPR 40, Just Russia 38
Rwanda
bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 members
elected by local councils, 8 appointed by the president, 4 by the
Political Organizations Forum, 2 represent institutions of higher
learning; to serve eight-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies (80
seats; 53 members elected by popular vote, 24 women elected by local
bodies, 3 selected by youth and disability organizations; to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Senate - members appointed as part of the transitional
government (next to be held in 2011); Chamber of Deputies - last
held 15 September 2008 (next to be held September 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - RPF 78.8%, PSD 13.1%,
PL 7.5%; seats by party - RPF 42, PSD 7, PL 4, additional 27 members
indirectly elected
Saint Barthelemy
unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - SBA 72.2%,
Action-Equilibre-Transparence 9.9%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy
7.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 9.9%; seats by party - SBA 16,
Action-Equilibre-Transparence 1, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 1,
Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1
Saint Helena
unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the
speaker, three ex officio and 12 elected members; members are
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 August 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12
Saint Kitts and Nevis
unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3
appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member
constituencies; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 October 2004 (next to be held by 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
SKNLP 7, CCM 2, NRP 1, PAM 1
Saint Lucia
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats;
six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on
the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after
consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the
House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to
be held in December 2011)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP
50%, SLP 46.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6
Saint Martin
unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012)
election results: percent of seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%,
Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir
Saint-Martin 1
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil
Territorial (19 seats, 15 from Saint Pierre and four from Miquelon;
members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 19 and 26 in March 2006 (next to be
held in March 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AD
16, Cap sur l'Avenir 2, SPM 2000/AM 1
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect one seat to the French Senate;
elections last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held in September
2013); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP
1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects one seat to the French
National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 10 June 2007,
second round - 17 June 2007 (next to be held in 2012); results -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Left Radical Party 1
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
unicameral House of Assembly (21
seats, 15 elected representatives and six appointed senators;
representatives are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 55.3%, NDP 44.7%;
seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3
Samoa
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats, 47 elected
by voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral
districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly non-Samoan or
part-Samoan, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a
village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to
the Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: election last held 31 March 2006 (next election to be
held not later than March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
HRPP 35, SDUP 10, independents 4
San Marino
unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande
e Generale (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 November 2008 (next to be held by June 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - Pact for San Marino
coalition 54.2%: PDCS 31.9%, AP 11.5%, Freedom List 6.3%, San Marino
Union of Moderates 4.2%; Reforms and Freedom coalition 45.8%; Party
of Socialists and Democrats 32%, United Left 8.6%, Democrats of the
Center 4.9%; seats by party - Pact for San Marino coalition 35; PDCS
22, AP 7, the Freedom List 4, San Marino Union of Moderates 2;
Reforms and Freedm coalition 25: Party of Socialists and Democrats
18, United Left 5, Democrats of the Center 2
Sao Tome and Principe
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia
Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held on 26 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP
28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, others 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD
23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1
Saudi Arabia
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 members
and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); note -
though the Council of Ministers announced in October 2003 its intent
to introduce elections for half of the members of local and
provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period
of four to five years, to date no such elections have been held or
announced
Senegal
bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly or
Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members elected by direct popular
vote with the remaining members elected by proportional
representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and the
Senate reinstituted in 2007 (100 seats; 35 indirectly elected with
the remaining 65 members to be appointed by the president)
elections: National Assembly - last held on 3 June 2007 (next to be
held 2012); note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to
postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006;
legislative elections were first rescheduled to coincide with the 25
February 2007 presidential elections and later rescheduled for 3
June 2007; the June election was boycotted by 12 opposition parties,
including the former ruling Socialist Party, that resulted in a
record-low, 35-percent voter turnout; Senate - last held 19 August
2007 (next to be held - NA)
election results: National Assembly results - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 131, other 19; Senate
results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDS 34,
AJ/PADS 1, 65 appointed by the president
Serbia
unicameral National Assembly (250 seats; deputies elected by
direct vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 May 2008 (next to be held in May 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - For a European Serbia
coalition 38.4%, SRS 29.5%, DSS-NS 11.6%, coalition led by the SPS
7.6%, LPD 5.2%, other 7.7%; seats by party - For a European Serbia
102, SRS 78, DSS-NS 30, coalition led by the SPS 20, LDP 13, other
7; note - the seat allocation for the SNS is uncertain because of an
ongoing dispute with the SRS
Seychelles
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34
seats; 25 members elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a
proportional basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 10-12 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 56.2%, SNP 43.8%;
seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11
Sierra Leone
unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected
by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate
elections; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
APC 59, SLPP 43, PMDC 10
Singapore
unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there
are up to nine nominated members; up to three losing opposition
candidates who came closest to winning seats may be appointed as
"nonconstituency" members
elections: last held on 6 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 66.6%, WP 16.3%,
SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1
Slovakia
unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or
Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on
the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 June 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - Smer 29.1%, SDKU 18.4%,
SMK 11.7%, SNS 11.7%, LS-HZDS 8.8%, KDH 8.3%, other 12%; seats by
party - Smer 50, SDKU 31, SMK 20, SNS 19, LS-HZDS 16, KDH 14
Slovenia
bicameral Parliament consists of a National Assembly or
Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 40 members are directly elected and 50 are
elected on a proportional basis; note - the number of directly
elected and proportionally elected seats varies with each election;
the constitution mandates 1 seat each for Slovenia's Hungarian and
Italian minorities; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms) and the National Council or Drzavni Svet (40 seats;
members indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve
five-year terms; note - this is primarily an advisory body with
limited legislative powers; it may propose laws, ask to review any
National Assembly decision, and call national referenda)
elections: National Assembly - last held 21 September 2008 (next to
be held 8 October 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - SD 30.5%, SDS 29.3%,
ZARES 9.4%, DeSUS 7.5%, SNS 5.5%, SLS+SMS 5.2%, LDS 5.2%, other
7.4%; seats by party - SD 29, SDS 28, ZARES 9, DeSUS 7, SNS 5,
SLS+SMS 5, LDS 5, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1
Solomon Islands
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members
elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held on 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%,
PAP 6.3%, SIPRA 6.3%, Liberal 5%, Democratic 4.9%, SOCRED 4.3%,
LAFARI 2.8%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4,
SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2,
independents 30
Somalia
unicameral National Assembly
note: unicameral Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA) (275 seats; 244
members appointed by the four major clans (61 for each clan), 31
seats allocated to smaller clans and subclans)