based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January
1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic
law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of
the northern states regardless of their religion; however, the CPA
establishes some protections for non-Muslims in Khartoum; some
separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under
the CPA following the civil war; Islamic law will not apply to the
southern states
Suriname
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal
theory; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Svalbard
the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Swaziland
based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts
and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Sweden
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Switzerland
civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial
review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees
of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
with reservations
Syria
based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law;
Islamic law is used in the family court system; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Taiwan
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Tajikistan
based on civil law system; no judicial review of
legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Tanzania
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative
acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Thailand
based on civil law system with influences of common law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Timor-Leste
UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains
in place but is to be replaced by civil and penal codes based on
Portuguese law; these have passed but have not been promulgated; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Togo
French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
with reservations
Tokelau
New Zealand and local statutes
Tonga
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Trinidad and Tobago
based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Tunisia
based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint
session; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Turkey
civil law system derived from various European continental
legal systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR), although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified
European Convention on Human Rights; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Turkmenistan
based on civil law system and Islamic law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Turks and Caicos Islands
based on laws of England and Wales with a
few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Tuvalu
English common law supplemented by local customary law
Uganda
in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one
based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Ukraine
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
United Arab Emirates
based on a dual system of Sharia and civil
courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
United Kingdom
based on common law tradition with early Roman and
modern continental influences; has nonbinding judicial review of
Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
United States
federal court system based on English common law; each
state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one
(Louisiana, which is still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
the laws of the US,
where applicable, apply
Uruguay
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Uzbekistan
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Vanuatu
unified system being created from former dual French and
British systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Venezuela
open, adversarial court system; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Vietnam
based on communist legal theory and French civil law system;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Virgin Islands
based on US laws
Wake Island
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Wallis and Futuna
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
World
all members of the UN are parties to the statute that
established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court
Yemen
based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and
local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Zambia
based on English common law and customary law; judicial
review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Zimbabwe
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
======================================================================
@2101
Field Listing :: Legislative branch
This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral,
bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of
office. Elections includes the nature of the election process or
accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next
election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or
number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Country
Legislative branch
Afghanistan
the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Meshrano
Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one-third elected from
provincial councils for four-year terms, one-third elected from
local district councils for three-year terms, and one-third
nominated by the president for five-year terms) and the Wolesi Jirga
or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for
five-year terms
note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga
(Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and
territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the
constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members
of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and
district councils
elections: last held 18 September 2005 (next election expected in
2010)
election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system
used in the election did not make use of political party slates;
most candidates ran as independents
Albania
unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 members
elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD
56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19
note: Parliament in November 2008 approved an electoral reform
package that will transform the electoral system from a majority
system to a regional proportional system; the code will also
establish an electoral threshold limiting smaller party
representation
Algeria
bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of Nations
(Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the
president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote to serve six-year
terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed
every three years) and the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis
Al-Shabi Al-Watani (389 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: National People's Assembly - last held 17 May 2007 (next
to be held in 2012); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 28
December 2006 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - FLN 136, RND 61, MSP 52, PT 26, RCD 19,
FNA 13, other 49, independents 33; Council of Nations - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 29, RND 12, MSP 3, RCD 1,
independents 3, presidential appointees (unknown affiliation) 24;
note - Council seating reflects the number of replaced council
members rather than the whole Council
American Samoa
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of
the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs to serve
four-year terms)and the House of Representatives (21 seats; 20
members are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting
delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008
(next to be held in November 2010); Senate - last held 4 November
2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - independents 18
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives; election last held on 4 November 2008
(next to be held in November 2010); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
reelected as delegate
Andorra
unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General
de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote,
14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of
the seven parishes; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 26 April 2009 (next to be held in
March-April 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.03%, Reformist
Coaliton 32.34%, Andorra for Change 18.86%, other 3.77%; seats by
party - PS 14, Reformist Coalition 11, Andorra for Change 3
Angola
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220
seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5-6 September 2008 (next to be held in
September 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 81.6%, UNITA
10.4%, PRS 3.2%, ND 1.2%, FNLA 1.1%, other 2.5%; seats by party -
MPLA 191, UNITA 16, PRS 8, FNLA 3, ND 2
Anguilla
unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats; 7 members elected
by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, AUM 19.4%,
ANSA 19.2%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA
2, AUM 1
Antigua and Barbuda
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17
seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of
Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional
representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2009 (next
to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 50.9%, ALP 47.2%,
BPM 1.1%; seats by party - UPP 9, ALP 7, BPM 1
Argentina
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists
of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote;
presently one-third of the members elected every two years to serve
six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are
elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two
years to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 28 October 2007 (next to be held in
2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 28 October 2007
(next to be held in 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA;
seats by bloc or party - FpV 12, UCR 4, CC 4, other 4; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or
party - FpV 5, UCR 10, PJ 10, PRO 6, CC 16, FJ 2, other 31; note -
as of 1 January 2009, the composition of the entire legislature is
as follows: Senate - seats by bloc or party - FpV 42, UCR 8, CC 2,
other 20; Chamber of Deputies - seats by bloc or party - FpV 119,
UCR 24, CC 18, PS 10, PRO 9, other 77
Armenia
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov
(131 seats; members elected by popular vote, 90 members elected by
party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held in the spring of
2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - HHK 33.9%, Prosperous
Armenia 15.1%, ARF (Dashnak) 13.2%, Rule of Law 7.1%, Heritage Party
6%, other 24.7%; seats by party - HHK 64, Prosperous Armenia 18, ARF
(Dashnak) 16, Rule of Law 9, Heritage Party 7, independent 17
Aruba
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by
direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 September 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - AVP 48%, MEP 35.9%, PDR
5.7%; seats by party - AVP 12, MEP 8, PDR 1
Australia
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76
seats; 12 members from each of the six states and 2 from each of the
two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected
every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all
territory members are elected every three years) and the House of
Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential
vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer
than 5 representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be held no
later than 2010); House of Representatives - last held 24 November
2007 (next to be called no later than 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 37, Australian Labor
Party 32, Australian Greens 5, Family First Party 1, independent 1;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Australian Labor Party 83, Liberal Party 55, National Party
10, independents 2
Austria
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of
Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members chosen by state
parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members in proportion
to its population; members serve five- or six-year terms) and the
National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by
direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to
be held by September 2013)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe
29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%;
seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20
Azerbaijan
unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November
2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, Motherland 2, other parties
with single seats 9, independents 42, undetermined 4
Bahamas, The
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats;
members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the
prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms)
and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct
popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve
the parliament and call elections at any time
elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%;
seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18
Bahrain
bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council
(40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of
Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly
elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December
2006 (next election to be held in 2010)
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
society - NA; seats by society - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni
Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11;
note - seats by society as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala
8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4,
unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with
al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1
Bangladesh
unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300
seats elected by popular vote from single territorial
constituencies; members serve five-year terms
elections: last held 29 December 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP
7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party - AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27,
JIB 2, other 11
Barbados
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats;
members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the
Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at
his discretion) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are
elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 15 January 2008 (next to be
called in 2013)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP
52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by party - DLP 20, BLP 10
Belarus
bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie
consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64
seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and eight members
appointed by the president, to serve four-year terms) and the
Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Palata Predstaviteley - last held 28 September and 3
October 2008 (next to be held fall of 2012); international observers
determined that despite minor improvements the election ultimately
fell short of democratic standards; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won
every seat
election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA
Belgium
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in
Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by
popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year
terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van
Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in
French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on
the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 June 2007
(next to be held no later than June 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA
19.4%, Open VLD 12.4%, MR 12.3%, VB 11.9%, PS 10.2%, SP.A-Spirit
10%, CDH 5.9%, Ecolo 5.8%, Groen! 3.6%, Dedecker List 3.4%, FN 2.3%,
other 2.8%; seats by party - CDV 12, MR 11, Open VLD 9, VB 8, PS 7,
SP.A 6, CDH 5, Ecolo 5, Groen! 2, LDD 1, FN 1, independents 4;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA 18.5%, MR
12.5%, VB 12%, Open VLD 11.8%, PS 10.9%, SP.A-Spirit 10.3%, CDH
6.1%, Ecolo 5.1%, Dedecker List 4%, Groen! 4%, FN 2%, other 2.8%;
seats by party - CDV 23, N-VA 7, MR 23, VB 17, Open VLD 18, PS 20,
SP.A 14, CDH 10, Ecolo 8, Dedecker List 5, Groen! 4, FN 1
note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six
governments, each with its own legislative assembly
Belize
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats;
members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the
prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and
1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and
Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce
and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National
Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; to
serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (31 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2008
(next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 56.3%, PUP 40.9%;
seats by party - UDP 25, PUP 6
Benin
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 March 2007 (next to be held by March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FCBE 35, ADD 20, PRD 10, other and independents 18
Bermuda
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats;
members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition)
and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve up to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held 18 December 2007 (next to be
held not later than 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, UBP 47.3%;
seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14
Bhutan
bicameral Parliament consists of the non-partisan National
Council (25 seats; 20 members elected by each of the 20 electoral
districts (dzongkhags) for four-year terms and 5 members nominated
by the King); and the National Assembly (47 seats; members elected
by direct, popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: National Council elections last held on 31 December 2007
and 29 January 2008 (next to be held by December 2012); National
Assembly elections last held on 24 March 2008 (next to be held by
March 2013)
election results: National Council - NA; National Assembly - percent
of vote by party - DPT 67%, PDP 33%; seats by party - DPT 45, PDP 2
Bolivia
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are
elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
seats; 70 members are directly elected from their districts and 60
are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms); note - under representational rules established by
the 2009 Constitution, the National Congress will become the
Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa
Plurinacional; the number of Deputies will remain at 130, but the
number of Senators will rise to 36
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held
18 December 2005 (next to be held in December 2009)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 73,
PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6