Angola

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220

seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held September

2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%,

other 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD

3, other 7

Anguilla

unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 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 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, ANSA 19.2%,

AUM 19.4%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA

2, AUM 1

Antigua and Barbuda

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate

(17-member body 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 23 March 2004 (next

to be held in 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

ALP 4, UPP 13

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 a

six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are

elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two

years to a four-year term)

elections: Senate - last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in

2007); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 23 October 2005

(next to be held in 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV

45.1%, FJ 17.2%, UCR 7.5%, other 30.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV

14, FJ 3, UCR 2, other 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by

bloc or party - FV 29.9%, UCR 8.9%, ARI 7.2%, PJ 6.7%, PRO 6.2%, FJ

3.9%, other 37.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 50, UCR 10, ARI 8, PJ

9, PRO 9, FJ 7, other 34

Armenia

unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov

(131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year

terms; 90 members elected by party list, 41 by direct vote)

elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of

2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%,

Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National

Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by faction -

Republican Party 39, Rule of Law 20, Justice Bloc 14, ARF (Dashnak)

11, National Unity 7, United Labor 6, People's Deputy Group 16,

independent (not in faction or group) 18; note - as of 10 March

2006; voting blocs in the legislature are more properly termed

factions and can be composed of members of several parties; seats by

faction change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce

themselves independent

Aruba

unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by

direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held by in 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA

7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8,

MPA 1, RED 1

Australia

bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76

seats - 12 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

voting to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer

than 5 representatives)

elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held no

later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9

October 2004 (next to be called no later than November 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 39, Australian Labor

Party 28, Democrats 4, Australian Greens 4, Family First Party 1;

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 87, Australian Labor

Party 60, independents 3

Austria

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of

Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members chosen by state

parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members according to

its population; members serve a five- or six-year term) and the

National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by

direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: National Council - last held 1 October 2006 (next

scheduled for the fall of 2010)

election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe

35.3%, OeVP 34.3%, Greens 11.1%, FPOe 11.0%, BZOe 4.1%; seats by

party - SPOe 68, OeVP 66, Greens 21, FPOe 21, BZOe 7

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, YES 2, Motherland 2, other

parties with single seats 7, independents 42, undetermined 4

Bahamas, The

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member

body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime

minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the

House of Assembly (40 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 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%,

independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4

Bahrain

bicameral legislature consists of Shura Council (40 members

appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly

elected to serve four-year terms)

elections: House of Deputies - last held November-December 2006

(next election to be held NA)

election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - Sunni Islamists 18, Al Wifaq (Shia) 17, other

groupings and independents 5

note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National

Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created

bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14

February 2001; first legislative term held from December 2002 to

December 2006

Bangladesh

unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300

seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies

(the constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and

above the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members

serve five-year terms

elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held no later than

January 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance

partners 41%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP

(Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the

election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned

with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

Barbados

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body

appointed by the governor general) 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 21 May 2003 (next to be

held by May 2008)

election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7

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 8 members

appointed by the president, all for four-year terms) and the Chamber

of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members

elected by universal adult suffrage to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 17 and 31 October 2004; international observers

widely denounced the elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on

massive government falsification; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won

every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for

technical reasons

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 18 May 2003

(next to be held 10 June 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit

15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH

5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5,

VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected

senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD

15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR

11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit

23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8, Ecolo 4, other 2

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

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;

members are appointed for five-year terms) and the House of

Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular

vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next

to be held March 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

PUP 21, UDP 8

Benin

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats;

members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held 25 March 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD,

AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small

parties) 31

Bermuda

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member

body 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 24 July 2003 (next to be held

not later than July 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%;

seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Bhutan

unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105

elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies,

and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and

other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)

elections: local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in

2008)

election results: NA

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 are directly elected from their districts and 60 are

elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve

five-year terms)

elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held

18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina

bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina

consists of the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki

Dom (42 seats - elected by proportional representation, 28 seats

allocated from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats

from the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve

four-year terms); and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats -

5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat

Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's

National Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's

election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order

administrative division entity legislatures

elections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1

October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last

constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)

election results: national House of Representatives - percent of

vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9,

SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ 1990 2, other 5; House

of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by

party/coalition - NA

note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that

consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by

popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1

October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by

party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17,

HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17

Bosniak, 17 Croat, 1i7 Serb, 7 other); last constituted December

2002; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats;

members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections

last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2010);

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41,

SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4, SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of

the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska

Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska

National Assembly including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight

Serbs, and four members of the smaller communities

Botswana

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a

largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting

of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members

serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3

members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly

(63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are

appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and

Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve

five-year terms)

elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004

(next to be held October 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%,

BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1

Brazil

bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of

the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each

state and federal district elected according to the principle of

majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a

four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year

period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513

seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve

four-year terms)

elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third

of the Senate (next to be held October 2010 for two-thirds of the

Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be

held October 2010)

election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;

seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1,

PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; total seats following election -

PFL 18, PMDB 15, PSDB 15, PT 10, PDT 5, PTB 4, PSB 3, PL 3, PCdoB 2,

PRB 2, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of

vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB

65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13,

PSC 9, other 17

British Virgin Islands

unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats;

members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of

nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve

four-year terms)

elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

NDP 8, VIP 5

Brunei

Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time

in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed

constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15

elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and

appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005

elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)

Bulgaria

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240

seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held June 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%,

MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%; seats by party

- CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13,

independents 4

Burkina Faso

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale

(111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year

terms)

elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to

be held May 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, other 17

Burma

unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats;

members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by

junta to convene

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government),

other 60

Burundi

bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National

Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats - 60% Hutu and

40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed

by a National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic

representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve

five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34 by indirect vote to

serve five year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic

groups and former chiefs of state)

elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be

held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in

2010)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -

CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%,

MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59,

FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate -

percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30,

FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1

Cambodia

bicameral, consists of the National Assembly (123 seats;

members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the

Senate (61 seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by

the National Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and

commune councils; members serve five-year terms)

elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be

held in July 2008); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be

held in January 2011)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP

47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73,

FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%,

FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2

(January 2006)

Cameroon

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180

seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year

terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term

of the legislature

elections: last held 23 June 2002 (next to be held in June 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21

note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the

legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

Canada

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or

Senat (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of

the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its

normal limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre

des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to

serve for up to five-year terms)

elections: House of Commons - last held 23 January 2006 (next to be

held in 2011)

election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -

Conservative Party 36.3%, Liberal Party 30.2%, New Democratic Party

17.5%, Bloc Quebecois 10.5%, Greens 4.5%, other 1%; seats by party -

Conservative Party 124, Liberal Party 102, New Democratic Party 29,

Bloc Quebecois 51, other 2; seats by party as of February 2007 -

Conservative Party 125, Liberal Party 100, New Democratic Party 29,

Bloc Quebecois 51, other 2

Cape Verde

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72

seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January

2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 52.3%, MPD 44%,

UCID 2.7%; seats by party - PAICV 41, MPD 29, ADM 2

Cayman Islands

unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, 3

appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by

popular vote; members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held in 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1

Central African Republic

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee

Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve

five-year terms)

elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held

NA 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD

9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%,

independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD

6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7

Chad

bicameral according to constitution, consists of a National

Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve

four-year terms) and a Senate (not yet created and size unspecified,

members to serve six-year terms, one-third of membership renewable

every two years)

elections: National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be

held by April 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, URD 5, UNDR 3, other 11

Chile

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of

the Senate or Senado (38 seats elected by popular vote; members

serve eight-year terms - one-half elected every four years) and the

Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are

elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 11 December 2005 (next to be held

December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 2005

(next to be held December 2009)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - CPD 20 (PDC 6, PS 8, PPD 3, PRSD 3), APC 17 (UDI 9, RN 8),

independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - CPD 65 (PDC 21, PPD 22, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 54 (UDI

34, RN 20), independent 1

China

unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin

Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional,

and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held

late 2007-February 2008)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

Christmas Island

unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats;

members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: held every two years with half the members standing for

election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire

Council (7 seats)

elections: held every two years with half the members standing for

election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)

Colombia

bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or

Senado (102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve

four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de

Representantes (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote to

serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in

March 2010); House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2006

(next to be held in March 2010)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - PSUN 20, PC 18, PL 18, CR 15, PDI 10, other parties 21;

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - PL 35, PSUN 33, PC 29, CR 20, PDA 8, other parties 41

Comoros

unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are

selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the 18 by

universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years);

elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies

from local island assemblies

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

bicameral legislature consists of

a National Assembly (500 seats; 60 members elected by majority vote

in single-member constituencies 440 members elected by open list

proportional-representation in multi-member constituencies; members

serve 5-year terms) and a Senate (108 seats; members elected by

provincial assemblies to serve 5-year terms)

elections: National Assembly - last held 30 July 2006 (next to be

held in 2011)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - PPRD 111, MLC 64, PALU 34, MSR 27, FR 26, RCD 15,

Independents 63, others 160 (includes 63 political parties that won

fewer than 10 seats)

Congo, Republic of the

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate

(66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year

terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by

popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held July

2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next

to be held by May 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by

party - NA; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45

Cook Islands

bicameral Parliament consisting of a lower house or

Legislative Assembly with 25 seats (24 seats representing districts

of the Cook Islands and one seat representing Cook Islanders living

overseas; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

and an upper house or House of Ariki made up of traditional leaders

elections: last held 26 September 2006 (next to be held by 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - Demo 51.9%, CIP 45.5%,

independent 2.7%; seats by party - Demo 15, CIP 8, independent 1

note: the House of Ariki advises on traditional matters and

maintains considerable influence, but has no legislative powers

Costa Rica

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa

(57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve

four-year terms)

elections: last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held February 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

PLN 25, PAC 17, PML 6, PUSC 5, other 4

Cote d'Ivoire

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale

(225 seats; members are elected in single- and multi-district

elections by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: elections last held 10 December 2000 with by-elections on

14 January 2001 (next to be held by October 2007, after the

government postponed the elections in 2005 and 2006)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

FPI 96, PDCI-RDA 94, RDR 5, PIT 4, other 2, independents 22, vacant 2

note: a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election

in 2006

Croatia

unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 seats; note - one seat was

added in the November 2003 parliamentary elections; members elected

from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 23 November 2003 (next to be held in 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by

party - HDZ 63, SDP 34, HNS 11, HSS 9, HSP 7, IDS 4, HDSSB 3, HSLS

3, HSU 3, SDSS 3, other 12

note: minority government coalition - HDZ, DC, HSLS, HSU, SDSS; note

- the Democratic Center party or DC withdrew from the government in

Febuary 2006

Cuba

unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea

Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates

approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year

terms)

elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008)

election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609

Cyprus

unicameral - area under government control: House of

Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the

Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned

to Greek Cypriots are filled; members are elected by popular vote to

serve five-year terms); area administered by Turkish Cypriots:

Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members

are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: area under government control: last held 21 May 2006

(next to be held 2011); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last

held 14 December 2003 (next to be held in 2008)

election results: area under government control: House of

Representatives - percent of vote by party - AKEL 31.13%, DISY

30.34%, DIKO 17.92%, KISOS 6.51%, EDEK 8.91%, EURO.KO 5.75%, Greens

1.95%; seats by party - AKEL (Communist) 18, DISY 18, DIKO 11, KISOS

4, EDEK 4, EURO.KO 4, Greens 1; area administered by Turkish

Cypriots: Assembly of the Republic - percent of vote by party - CTP

35.8%, UBP 32.3%, Peace and Democratic Movement 13.4%, DP 12.3%;

seats by party - CTP 19, UBP 18, Peace and Democratic Movement 6, DP

7; note - "TRNC" seats by party as of September 2006 - CTP 25, OP 3,

UBP 13, DP 6, BDH 1, independents 2

Czech Republic

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the

Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to

serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the

Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are

elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 20-21 and 27-28 October

2006 (next to be held October 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held

2-3 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2010)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - ODS 41, CSSD 12, KDU-CSL 10, others 15, independents 2;

Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - ODS 35.4%, CSSD

32.3%, KSCM 12.8%, KDU-CSL 7.2%, Greens 6.3%, other 6%; seats by

party - ODS 81, CSSD 74, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6

Denmark

unicameral People's Assembly or Folketinget (179 seats,

including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are

elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation

to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 29%,

Social Democrats 25.9%, Danish People's Party 13.2%, Conservative

Party 10.3%, Social Liberal Party 9.2%, Socialist People's Party 6%,

Unity List 3.4%; seats by party - Liberal Party 52, Social Democrats

47, Danish People's Party 24, Conservative Party 18, Social Liberal

Party 17, Socialist People's Party 11, Unity List 6; note - does not

include the 2 seats from Greenland and the 2 seats from the Faroe

Islands

Djibouti

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65

seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

elections: last held 10 January 2003 (next to be held January 2008)

election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats -

RPP 65, FRUD 0; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

Dominica

unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed

senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010);

note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five

years of the last election, but technically it is five years from

the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace

period

election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.07%, UWP 43.6%,

DFP 3.15%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1

Dominican Republic

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional

consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members are elected by

popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of

Representatives or Camara de Diputados (178 seats; members are

elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be held in May

2008); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be

held in May 2008)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - PLD 22, PRD 6, PRSC 4; House of Representatives - percent of

vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 96, PRD 60, PRSC 22

East Timor

unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary,

minimum requirement of 52 and a maximum of 65 seats; members elected

by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - for its first term

of office, the National Parliament is comprised of 88 members on an

exceptional basis

elections: (next to be held in May 2007); direct elections for

national parliament were never held; elected delegates to the

national convention adopted a constitution and named themselves

legislators instead of having elections; hence the exceptional

numbers for this term of the national parliament

election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 57.37%, PD

8.72%, PSD 8.18%, ASDT 7.84%, UDT 2.36%, PNT 2.21%, KOTA 2.13%, PPT

2.01%, PDC 1.98%, PST 1.78%, independents/other 5.42%; seats by

party - FRETILIN 55, PD 7, PSD 6, ASDT 6, PDC 2, UDT 2, KOTA 2, PNT

2, PPT 2, UDC/PDC 1, PST 1, PL 1, independent 1

Ecuador

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100

seats; members are elected through a party-list proportional

representation system to serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held 15 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

PRIAN 28; PSP 24; PSC 13; ID 7; PRE 6; MUPP-NP 6; RED 5; UDC 5;

other 6; note - defections by members of National Congress are

commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats

held by the various parties

Egypt

bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis

al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by

the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory

Council or Majlis al-Shura - which functions only in a consultative

role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the

president; members serve six-year terms; mid-term elections for half

of the elected members)

elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 7 and

20 November, 1 December 2005;(next to be held November-December

2010); Advisory Council - last held May-June 2004 (next to be held

May-June 2007)

election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - NDP 311, NWP 6, Tagammu 2, Tomorrow Party 1,

independents 112 (12 seats to be determined by rerun elections, 10

seats appointed by President); Advisory Council - percent of vote by

party - NA; seats by party - NA

El Salvador

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa

(84 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve

three-year terms)

elections: last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

ARENA 34, FMLN 32, PCN 10, PDC 6, CD 2

Equatorial Guinea

unicameral House of People's Representatives or

Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly

elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

PDGE 98, CPDS 2

note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all

executive authority in the president

Eritrea

unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not

established)

elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new

constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old

Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member

Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss

and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans

living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to

serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections

to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of

the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution

stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the

National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible

voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were

postponed indefinitely

Estonia

unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are

elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party of Estonia

25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, Estonian Reform Party 17.7%, Estonian

People's Union 13%, Pro Patria Union (Fatherland League) 7.3%

People's Party Moodukad 7%; seats by party - Res Publica 26, Center

Party 20, Reform Party 19, Estonian People's Union 13, Pro Patria

Union 7, Social Democrats (formerly People's Party Moodukad) 6,

non-affiliated (Social Liberals and independents) 10

Ethiopia

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or

upper chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to

serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or

lower chamber (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular

vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPRDF 327,

CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1,

others 6, undeclared 2

note: irregularities at some polling stations necessitated the

rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies

European Union

Council of the European Union (27 member-state

ministers having 345 votes; the number of votes is roughly

proportional to member-states' population); note - the Council is

the main decision-making body of the EU; European Parliament (785

seats (as of 1 January 2007); seats allocated among member states by

proportion to population); members elected by direct universal

suffrage for a five-year term

elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED

268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN

27, independents 28; note - seats by party as of 1 January 2007 -

EPP-ED 277, PES 218, ALDE 106, UEN 44, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41,

IND/DEM 23, ITS 20, independents 14

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

unicameral Legislative Council (10

seats - two ex officio, eight elected by popular vote, members serve

four-year terms); presided over by the governor

elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8

Faroe Islands

unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats;

members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the

seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than

January 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%,

Social Democratic Party 21.8%, Republican Party 21.7%, People's

Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%; seats by

party - Union Party 7, Social Democratic Party 7, Republican Party

8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1

note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held

on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); results -

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1,

People's Party 1

Fiji

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14

appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of

Chiefs, 9 appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime

Minister, 8 on the advice of the Opposition Leader, and 1 appointed

on the advice of the council of Rotuma) and the House of

Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19

reserved for ethnic Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1

reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the

whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 6-13 May 2006 (next

to be held 2011)

election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by

party - SDL 44.59%, FLP 39.18%, UPP .84%, independents 4.89%; seats

by party - SDL 36, FLP 31, UPP 2, independents 2

Finland

unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are

elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year

terms)

elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%,

Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party -

Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, other 4

France

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or

Senat (331 seats - 305 for metropolitan France, 9 for overseas

departments, 5 for dependencies, and 12 for French nationals abroad;

members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve

nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years); note -

between 2006 and 2010, 15 new seats will be added to the Senate for

a total of 346 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas

departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre

and Miquelon, 3 for overseas territories, and 12 for French

nationals abroad; starting in 2008, members will be indirectly

elected by an electoral college to serve six-year terms, with

one-half the seats being renewed every three years; and the National

Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats - 555 for metropolitan

France, 15 for overseas departments, 7 for dependencies; members are

elected by popular vote under a single-member majority system to

serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held

September 2008); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next

to be held on 10 and 17 June 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National

Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 355,

PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Left Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22

French Polynesia

unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee

Territoriale (57 seats - changed from 49 seats for May 2004

election; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year

terms)

elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy

27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1; after by-elections of 13

February 2005 seating was as follows: People's Rally for the

Republic 27, Union for Democracy 27, and Alliance for a New

Democracy 3

note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998

(next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party

- NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French

National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);

results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1,

UMP 1

Gabon

bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats;

members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental

assemblies to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or

Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct,

popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next

to be held by January 2009); National Assembly - last held 17 and 24

December 2006 (next to be held December 2011)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents

9; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party

- PDG 82, RPG 8, UPG 8, UGDD 4, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PGP-Ndaot 2, PSD 2,

independents 4, others 5

Gambia, The

unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by

popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; members serve five-year

terms)

elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held 25 January

2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

APRC 45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1,

Georgia

unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as

Parliament) or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected by party

lists); members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held spring 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - National

Movement-Democratic Front 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, all other

parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - National

Movement-Democratic Front 135, Rightist Opposition 15

Germany

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal

Assembly or Bundestag (614 seats; elected by popular vote under a

system combining direct and proportional representation; a party

must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain

proportional representation and caucus recogntion; members serve

four-year terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 votes;

state governments are directly represented by votes; each has three

to six votes depending on population and are required to vote as a

block)

elections: Federal Assembly - last held 18 September 2005 (next to

be held September 2009); note - there are no elections for the

Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the

state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the

potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election

election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party -

CDU/CSU 35.2%, SPD 34.3%, FDP 9.8%, Left 8.7%, Greens 8.1%; seats by

party - CDU/CSU 225, SPD 222, FDP 61, Left 53, Greens 51, and

independents 2

Ghana

unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200

seats in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote

to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10

Gibraltar

unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by

popular vote, 1 appointed for the Speaker, and 2 ex officio members;

members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later

than February 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%;

seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7

Greece

unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats;

members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: elections last held 7 March 2004 (next to be held by

March 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - ND 45.4%, PASOK 40.6%,

KKE 5.9%, Synaspismos 3.3%; seats by party - ND 165, PASOK 117, KKE

12, Synaspismos 6; note - seats by party as of December 2006 - ND

164, PASOK 113, KKE 12, Synaspismos 6, independents 5, other 6

Greenland

unicameral Parliament or Landstinget (31 seats; members

are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional

representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held on 15 November 2005 (next to be held by

December 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 30.7%,

Demokratiit 22.8%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 22.6%, Atassut Party 19.1%;

Katusseqatigiit 4.1%, other 0.7%; seats by party - Siumut 10,

Demokratiit 7, Inuit Ataqatigiit 7, Atassut 6, Katusseqatigiit 1

note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or

Folketing on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009);

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit

Ataqatigiit 1

Grenada

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member

body, 10 appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the

opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are

elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held on 27 November 2003 (next to be held by

November 2008)

election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by

party - NNP 46.65%, NDC 44.12%; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 7

Guam

unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by

popular vote to serve two-year terms)

elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

Republican Party 8, Democratic Party 7

note: Guam elects one nonvoting delegate to the US House of

Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held

November 2008); results - Madeleine BORDALLO (Democratic Party) was

reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party

- Democratic Party 1

Guatemala

unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la

Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve

four-year terms)

elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held September 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18

note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional

seats increased from 113 to 158

Guernsey

unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are

elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark

have their own parliaments

elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Guinea

unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale

Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to

serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%,

other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9

Guinea-Bissau

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia

Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to

serve a maximum of four years)

elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%,

PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2%; seats by

party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1

Guyana

unicameral National Assembly (65 members elected by popular

vote, also not more than four non-elected non-voting ministers and

two non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by

the president; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 54.6%, PNC/R 34%,

AFC 8.1%, other 3.3%; seats by party - PPP/C 36, PNC/R 22, AFC 5,

other 2

Haiti

bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of

the Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve

six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber

of Deputies (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve

four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate, the candidate

in each department receiving the most votes in the last election

serves six years, the candidate with the second most votes serves

four years, and the candidate with the third most votes serves two

years

elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2006, with run-off elections

on 3 December 2006 (next regular election, for one third of seats,

to be held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006,

with run-off elections on 3 December 2006 (next regular election to

be held in 2010)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - L'ESPWA 11, OPL 4, FL 3, FUSION 5, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, ALYANS

1, PONT 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - L'ESPWA 21, FUSION 15, ALYANS 11, OPL 8, FL 6,

UNCRH 6, MPH 4, RDNP 4, LAAA 4,KONBA 3, FRN 2, MOCHRENHA 1, MRN 1,

Tet-Ansanm 1, MIRN 1, JPDN 1, UNITE 1, PLH 1; results for six other

seats contested on 3 December 2006 remain unknown

Holy See (Vatican City)

unicameral Pontifical Commission

Honduras

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128

seats; members are elected proportionally to the number of votes

their party's presidential candidate receives to serve four-year

terms)

elections: last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL

62, PN 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU 2

Hong Kong

unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004

30 seats indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected

by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September

2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group

62%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10,

independents 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11,

Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1;

non-voting LEGCO president 1

Hungary

unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats;

members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional

and direct representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 9 and 23 April 2006 (next to be held April 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote

required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSzP

43.2%, Fidesz-KDNP 42%, SzDSz 6.5%, MDF 5%, other 3.3%; seats by

party - MSzP 190, Fidesz 141, KDNP 23, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent

1

Iceland

unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are

elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party

33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31%, Progressive Party 17.7%,

Left-Green Movement 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party -

Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive

Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4

India

bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of

States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250

members, up to 12 of whom are appointed by the president, the

remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and

territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the

People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular

vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)

elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May

2004 (next must be held before May 2009)

election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - INC 147, BJP 129, CPI(M) 43, SP 38, RJD 23, DMK 16,

BSP 15, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 10, JD(U) 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, JMM 5,

LJSP 4, MDMK 4, TDP 4, TRS 4, independent 6, other 29, vacant 13;

note - party seat composition as of December 2006

Indonesia

House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR)

(550 seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House of

Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD),

constitutionally mandated role includes providing legislative input

to DPR on issues affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly

(Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and

impeaching president and in amending constitution; consists of

popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate

national policy

elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P

18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others

19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN

53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50

note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not

always follow the percentage of votes received by parties

Iran

unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or

Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats - formerly 270 seats; members

elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004

(by-elections next to be held in December 2006; general election to

be held in February 2008)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party -

conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43,

religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for

Iraq

bicameral Council of Representatives (consisting of 275 members

elected by a closed-list, proportional representation system) and a

Federation Council (membership not established and authorities

undefined)

elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of

Representatives; the Council of Representatives elected the

Presidency Council and approved the Prime Minister

election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by

party - Unified Iraqi Alliance 41%, Kurdistan Alliance 22%, Tawafuq

Coalition 15%, Iraqi National List 8%, Iraqi Front for National

Dialogue 4%, others 10%; number of seats by party - Unified Iraqi

Alliance 128, Kurdistan Alliance 53, Tawafuq Coalition 44, Iraqi

National List 25, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue 11, others 14

Ireland

bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or

Seanad Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from

candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated

by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House

of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected

by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve

five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held

by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002

(next to be held by May 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive

Democrats 4, independents and other 6; House of Representatives -

percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor

Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party

3.8%, other 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31,

Labor Party 21, Sinn Fein 5, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6,

other 14

Isle of Man

bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council

(an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord

Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and eight

others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats;

members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Keys - last held 23 November 2006 (next to be

held November 2011)

election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 2, Man Labor Party 1,

independents 21

Israel

unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular

vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 28 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in

2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - Kadima 22%, Labor

15.1%, Likud 9%, SHAS 9.5%, Yisrael Beiteinu 9%, NU/NRP 7.1%, GIL

5.9%, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 4.7%, Meretz-YAHAD 3.8%, United Arab

List 3%, Balad 2.3%, HADASH 2.7%; seats by party - Kadima 29, Labor

19, Likud 12, SHAS 12, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, NU/NRP 9, GIL 7, Torah

and Shabbat Judaism 6, Meretz-YAHAD 5, United Arab List 4, Balad 3,

HADASH 3

Italy

bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or

Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; elected by proportional vote

with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats

from that region; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of

Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; elected by popular vote

with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats;

members serve five-year terms); note - electoral vote reform passed

in December 2005

elections: Senate - last held 10 April 2006 (next to be held in

2011); Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 April 2006 (next to be

held May 2011)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - The Union 158 (DS 62, DL 39, RC 27, Together with the Union

11, other 19), House of Freedoms 154 (FI 79, AN 41, UDC 21, LEGA

13), other 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - The Union 348 (DS 220, RC 41, Rose in the Fist 18,

Italy of Values 17, PdCI 16, Greens Federation 15, UDEUR 10, other

11), House of Freedoms 276 (FI 140, AN 71, Union of Christian and

Center Democrats 39, LEGA 26), other 6

Jamaica

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member

body appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the

prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is

allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated eight seats) and

the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by

popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held no later than

October 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%;

seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26

Japan

bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors

or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half

reelected every three years; 146 members in multi-seat

constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) and the House

of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for

four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by

proportional representation in 11 regional blocs)

elections: House of Councillors - last held 11 July 2004 (next to be

held in July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 11

September 2005 (next election by September 2009)

election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party -

NA; seats by party - LDP 115, DPJ 82, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5,

others 7; distribution of seats as of December 2006 - LDP 111, DPJ

82, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 6, others 10

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP 47.8%, DPJ

36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party - LDP 296, DPJ 113, Komeito 31,

JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24; note - seats by party as of December 2006 -

LDP 305, DPJ 113, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 15 (2006)

Jersey

unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (55 voting

members - 12 senators (elected for six-year terms), 12 constables or

heads of parishes (elected for three-year terms), 29 deputies

(elected for three-year terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff;

and three non-voting members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney

General, and the Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch)

elections: last held 19 October 2005 for senators and 23 November

2005 for deputies (next to be held in 2008)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55

Jordan

bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of

the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55

seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories

of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of

Deputies, also called the House of Representatives (Majlis

al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis

of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); note - six

seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special

electoral panel if no women are elected

elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 17 June 2003 (next to be

held in 2007)

election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -

independents and other 84.6%, IAF 15.4%; seats by party -

independents and other 88, IAF 16; note - six women were appointed

to fill the woman's quota seats, including one female member of the

IAF; two IAF members were expelled from the Chamber of Deputies in

2006

Kazakhstan

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats; 7

senators are appointed by the president; other members are elected

by local government bodies, 2 from each of the 14 oblasts, the

capital of Astana, and the city of Almaty, to serve six-year terms;

note - formerly composed of 47 seats) and the Mazhilis (77 seats; 10

out of the 77 Mazhilis members are elected from the winning party's

lists; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - (indirect) last held December 2005; next to be

held in 2011; Mazhilis - last held 19 September and 3 October 2004

(next to be held in September 2009)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - NA; candidates nominated by local councils; Mazhilis -

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Otan 42, AIST 11,

ASAR (All Together) 4, Aq Zhol (Bright Path) 1, Democratic Party 1

(party refused to take the seat due to criticism of the election and

seat remained unoccupied), independent 18; note - most independent

candidates are affiliated with parastatal enterprises and other

pro-government institutions

Kenya

unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (224 seats; 210 members

elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called

"nominated" members who are appointed by the president but selected

by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals, 2

ex-officio members)

elections: last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held December 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

NARC 125, KANU 64, FORD-P 14, other 7; ex-officio 2; seats appointed

by the president - NARC 7, KANU 4, FORD-P 1

Kiribati

unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (42

seats; 39 elected by popular vote, 1 ex officio member - the

attorney general, 1 appointed to represent Banaba, and 1 other;

members serve four-year terms)

elections: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first

round on 9 May 2003 and the second round on 14 May 2003 (next to be

held by November 2006)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

BTK 17, MTM 16, independents 7, other 2 (includes attorney general)

Korea, North

unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin

Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year

terms)

elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected

without opposition; some seats are held by minor parties

Korea, South

unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats -

members elected for four-year terms; 243 in single-seat

constituencies, 56 by proportional representation)

elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008;

byelections held to fill vacant seats)

election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP

3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 141, GNP 127, DP 12, DLP

9, PFP 5, independents 5

note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party

reflect results of 2005 and 2006 byelections; MDP became DP in May

2005; United Liberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006

Kuwait

unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats;

members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; all

cabinet ministers are also ex officio voting members of the National

Assembly)

elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

Kyrgyzstan

unicameral Supreme Council or Jorgorku Kenesh (75 seats;

members are elected by popular vote to serve five year terms); note

- the November 2006 constitution calls for 90 seats

elections: elections for the new unicameral body or Jorgorku Kenesh

were held 27 February 2005, but the vast majority of positions

remained undecided and were contested in a runoff election on 13

March 2005; election irregularities caused widespread protests that

resulted in the president being forced to flee the country

election results: Supreme Council - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - NA

Laos

unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by

popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

LPRP 113, independents 2

Latvia

unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are

elected by proportional representation from party lists across five

districts through direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 7 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - TP 19.5%, ZZS 16.7%, JL

16.4%, SC 14.4%; LPP/LC 8.6%; TB/LNNK 7%; PCTVL 6%; seats by party -

TP 23, ZZS 18, JL 18, SC 17, LPP/LC 10, TB/LNNK 8, PCTVL 6

Lebanon

unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or

Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular

vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve

four-year terms); note - Nahib BERRI is the National Assembly

Speaker (since 1992)

elections: last held in four rounds on 29 May, 5, 12, 19 June 2005

(next to be held 2009)

election results: percent of vote by group - NA; seats by group (as

of December 2006) - Future Movement Bloc 36; Democratic Gathering

15; Development and Resistance Bloc 15; Loyalty to the Resistance

14; Free Patriotic Movement 15; Lebanese Forces 5; Qornet Shewan 6;

Popular Bloc 4; Tripoli Independent Bloc 3; Syrian National

Socialist Party 2; Kataeb Reform Movement 2; Tachnaq Party 2;

Democratic Renewal Movement 1; Democratic Left 1; Nasserite Popular

Movement 1; Ba'th Party 1; Kataeb Party 1; independent 4

Lesotho

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22

principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party)

and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by

proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year

terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120

in the May 2002 election

elections: last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held 17 February 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54.9%, BNP 22.4%,

LPC 5.8%, NIP 5.5% other 11.5%; seats by party - LCD 77, BNP 21, LPC

5, NIP 5, other 10

Liberia

bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats

- number of seats changed in 11 October 2005 elections; members

elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of

Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve

six-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in

2011); House of Representatives - last held 11 October 2005 (next to

be held in 2011)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of

Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

CDC 15, LP 9, UP 8, COTOL 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15

note: junior senators - those who received the second most votes in

each county in the 11 October 2005 election - will only serve a

six-year first term because the Liberian constitution mandates

staggered Senate elections to ensure continuity of government; all

senators will be eligible for nine-year terms thereafter

Libya

unicameral General People's Congress (NA seats; members

elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)

Liechtenstein

unicameral Parliament or Landtag (25 seats; members

are elected by direct, popular vote under proportional

representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 11 and 13 March 2005 (next to be held by NA

2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - FBP 48.7%, VU 38.2%, FL

13%; seats by party - FBP 12, VU 10, FL 3

Lithuania

unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are

directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional

representation; members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October

2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working

for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, TS

14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian

People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Farmers and

New Democracy Union 6.6%, other 9%; seats by faction - Labor 29,

Homeland Union 26, Social Democrats 23, Civil Democracy (split from

Labor) 11, Liberal Movement (formerly Liberal Political Group) 11,

National Farmer's Union (formerly Farmers and New Democracy Union)

11, Social Liberal 10, Liberal Democrats 9, Liberal and Center Union

8, independents 3 (as of late-July 2006)

Luxembourg

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60

seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year

terms)

elections: last held 13 June 2004 (next to be held by June 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 36.1%, LSAP 23.4%,

DP 16.1%, Green Party 11.6%, ADR 10%; seats by party - CSV 24, LSAP

14, DP 10, Green Party 7, ADR 5

note: there is also a Council of State that serves as an advisory

body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members

appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister

Macau

unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected by

popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief

executive; members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)

election results: percent of vote - New Democratic Macau Association

18.2%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16%, Development Union

12.8%, Macau Development Alliance 9%, others NA; seats by political

group - New Democratic Macau Association 2, Macau United Citizens'

Association 2, Development Union 2, Macau Development Alliance 1,

New Hope 1, United Forces 2, others 2; 10 seats filled by

professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief

executive

Macedonia

unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members

elected by popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of

the overall vote the parties gain in each of six electoral

districts; all serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 5 July 2006 (next to be held by July 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - VMRO-DPMNE 33%, SDSM

22%, BDI/DUI 12%, PDSh/DPA 7%, NSDP 6%, VMRO-Narodna 6%; seats by

party - VMRO-DPMNE 45, SDSM 32, BDI/DUI 17, PDSh/DPA 11, NSDP 7,

VMRO-Narodna 6, other 2

Madagascar

bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly or

Assemblee Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by

popular vote to serve four-year terms) and a Senate or Senat (100

seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies whose

members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of

the seats appointed by the president; all members will serve

four-year terms)

elections: National Assembly - last held 15 December 2002 (next to

be held in 2007)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -

NA%; seats by party - TIM 103, FP 22, AREMA 3, LEADER/Fanilo 2, RPSD

5, others 3, independents 22

Malawi

unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by

popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

UDF 74, MCP 60, Independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1

Malaysia

bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or

Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26

appointed by the state legislatures) and the House of

Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by

popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 21 March 2004 (next

must be held by 2009)

election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by

party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other 1%; seats by party - BN 199,

DAP 12, PAS 6, PKR 1, independent 1

Maldives

unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 elected

by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; members serve

five-year terms)

elections: last held 22 January 2005 (next to be held NA 2010)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50

Mali

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats;

members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 14 and 28 July 2002 (next to be held July 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

Hope 2002 coalition 66 (including RPM 42, CNID 10, and MPR 3), ADEMA

51, other 30

Malta

unicameral House of Representatives (usually 65 seats; note -

additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular

vote to ensure a legislative majority; members are elected by

popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve

five-year terms)

elections: last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held by August 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.79%, MLP 47.51%,

AD 0.68%; seats by party - PN 34, MLP 31

Marshall Islands

unicameral legislature or Nitijela (33 seats;

members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held by November

2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

note: the Council of Chiefs or Ironij is a 12-member body comprised

of tribal chiefs that advises on matters affecting customary law and

practice

Mauritania

bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis

al-Shuyukh (56 seats; a portion of seats up for election every two

years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms)

and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members

elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held

21 January 2007); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3

December 2006

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats

by party - CFCD 41 (including RFD 16, United Forces for Progress

(UDP) 9, APP 5, Islamists 5, HATEM-PMUC 3, RD 2, FP 1), RNI

(coalition of independent candidates) 38, PRDR 7, Union for

Democracy and Progress (UDP) 3, RDU 3, Alternative (Al-Badil) 1,

RNDLE 1, UCD 1

Mauritius

unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 elected by

popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to give

representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year

terms)

elections: last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AS

38, MSM/MMM 22, OPR 2; appointed seats - AS 4, MSM/MMM 2, OPR 2

Mayotte

unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats;

members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)

elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%,

PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP

9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1

note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last

held 24 September 2001 (next to be held September 2007); results -

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Mayotte also

elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last

held 16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of

vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.08%, UDF 44.92%; seats by party - UMP-RPR

1

Mexico

bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists

of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 are elected by

popular vote to serve six-year terms, and 32 are allocated on the

basis of each party's popular vote) and the Federal Chamber of

Deputies or Camara Federal de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are

directly elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms;

remaining 200 members are allocated on the basis of each party's

popular vote, also for three-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 2 July 2006 for all of the seats (next

to be held 1 July 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2 July 2006

(next to be held 5 July 2009)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

party - PAN 52, PRI 33, PRD 29, PVEM 6, CD 5, PT 2, PNA 1; Chamber

of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAN

206, PRD 127, PRI 103, PVEM 18, CD 17, PT 16, other 13

Micronesia, Federated States of

unicameral Congress (14 seats; 4 -

one elected from each state to serve four-year terms and 10 -

elected from single-member districts delineated by population to

serve two-year terms; members elected by popular vote)

elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 4 March 2003

(next to be held March 2007); elections for two-year term seats last

held 8 March 2005 (next to be held March 2007)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 14

Moldova

unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and

electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 6 March 2005 (next to be held in 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 46.1%, Democratic

Moldova Bloc 28.4%, PPCD 9.1%, other parties 16.4%; seats by party -

PCRM 56, Democratic Moldova Bloc 34, PPCD 11

Monaco

unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16

members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional

representation; to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

UNAM 21, UND 3

Mongolia

unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected by

popular vote to serve four-year terms

elections: last held 27 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - MPRP 48.78%, MDC 44.8%,

independents 3.5%, Republican Party 1.5%, others 1.42%; seats by

party - MPRP 36, MDC 34, others 4; note - following June 2004

election MDC collapsed; note - seats by party as of 1 December 2005

- MPRP 38, DP 25, M-MNSDP 6, CWRP 2, MRP 1, PP 1, independents 3

Montenegro

unicameral Assembly (81 seats, elected by direct vote for

four-year terms; changed from 74 seats in 2006)

elections: last held 10 September 2006 (next to be held 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

Coalition for a European Montenegro 41, SNS 12, Coalition SPP/NS/DSS

11, PZP 11, Liberals and Bosniaks 3, Democratic League-Democratic

Prosperity 1, Democratic Union of Albanians 1, Albanian Alternative 1

Montserrat

unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly

elected; members serve five-year terms)

note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney

general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members

elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%,

MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP

1, independents 1

note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single

constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast

ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council

Morocco

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Chamber

of Counselors (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local

councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates for

nine-year terms; one-third of the members are renewed every three

years) and a lower house or Chamber of Representatives (325 seats;

295 by multi-seat constituencies and 30 from national lists of

women; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

elections: Chamber of Counselors - last held 6 October 2003 (next to

be held in 2006); Chamber of Representatives - last held 27

September 2002 (next to be held in 2007)

election results: Chamber of Counselors - percent of vote by party -

NA; seats by party - RNI 42, MDS 33, UC 28, MP 27, PND 21, PI 21,

USFP 16, MNP 15, PA 13, FFD 12, other 42; Chamber of Representatives

- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - USFP 50, PI 48,

PJD 42, RNI 41, MP 27, MNP 18, UC 16, PND 12, PPS 11, UD 10, other 50

Mozambique

unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da

Republica (250 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote

on a secret ballot to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 1-2 December 2004 (next to be held December

2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 62%, RENAMO

29.7%; seats by party - FRELIMO 160, RENAMO 90

Namibia

bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26

seats; 2 members are chosen from each regional council to serve

six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are

elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to

determine members of the National Council, held 29-30 November 2004

(next to be held November 2010); National Assembly - last held 15-16

November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)

election results: National Council - percent of vote by party -

SWAPO 89.7%, UDF 4.7%, NUDO 2.8%, DTA 1.9%; seats by party - SWAPO

24, UDF 1, DTA 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party -

SWAPO 76.1%, COD 7.3%, DTA 5.1%, NUDO 4.2%, UDF 3.6%, RP 1.9%, MAG

0.8%, other 1.0%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, NUDO 3,

UDF 3, RP 1, MAG 1

note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body

Nauru

unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular

vote to serve three-year terms)

elections: last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held not later than

2007)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - Nauru First Party 3,

independents 15

note: the president dissolved parliament on 30 September 2004 and

set new elections for 23 October 2004

Nepal

bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60

seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king,

and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members

elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of

Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve

five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held in May 1999; note -

Parliament was dissolved in May 2002 but was finally reconvened in

April 2006 with most of the members that were elected in 1999

election results: House of Representatives (for 1999 parliament) -

percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP (RPP) 10.4%,

NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%,

NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP

11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP

1; note - NC, NSP, and NDP have since each split into two parties

Netherlands

bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of

the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly

elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms)

and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly

elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: First Chamber - last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held

May 2007); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be

held by early 2011)

election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;

seats by party - CDA 23, PvdA 19, VVD 15, Green Party 5, Socialist

Party 4, D66 3, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party -

CDA 26.5%, PvdA 21.2%, Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for

Freedom 5.9%, Green Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%; seats by party

- CDA 41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9,

Green Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7

Netherlands Antilles

unicameral States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao

14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are

elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB

2, DP St. E 1, DP St. M 1, BDP 1, WIPM 1

note: the government of Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE is a

coalition of several parties

New Caledonia

unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du

territoire (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial

Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to

serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3

note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate; by

2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate;

elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later

than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats

by party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French

National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to

be held in June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - UMP 2

New Zealand

unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called

Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in

single-member constituencies including seven Maori constituencies,

and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve

three-year terms)

elections: last held 17 September 2005 (next to be held not later

than 15 November 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%,

NZFP 5.72%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.12%, UF 2.67%, ACT New Zealand

1.51%, Progressive 1.16%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7,

Green Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1

note: results of 2005 election saw the total number of seats

increase to 121 because the Maori Party won one more electorate seat

than its entitlement under the party vote

Nicaragua

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92

seats; members are elected by proportional representation and party

lists to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1

seat for the runner-up in previous presidential election)

elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November

2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate

Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election),

MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)

Niger

unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; note - expanded from

83 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

elections: last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

MNSD 47, CDS 22, PNDS 25, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, PSDN 1

Nigeria

bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats -

3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja, members elected by popular vote

to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats,

members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held 21

April 2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003

(next to be held 21 April 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%,

ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House

of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP

27.4%, AD 8.8%, other 9.3%; seats by party - PDP 223, ANPP 96, AD

34, other 6; note - one seat is vacant

Niue

unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by

popular vote to serve three-year terms; 6 elected from a common roll

and 14 are village representatives)

elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be held April 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

Norfolk Island

unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members

elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four

votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year

terms)

elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December

2007)

election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political

parties)

Northern Mariana Islands

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 (18

seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held

November 2009); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 2005

(next to be held November 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

party - Covenant Party 3, Republican Party 3, Democratic Party 2,

independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -

NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 7, Republican Party 7,

Democratic Party 2, independent 2

note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting

delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or

"resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party

- Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO)

Norway

modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats - will

be 165 seats next election; members are elected by popular vote by

proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 12 September 2005 (next to be held 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%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%, other 1.9%; 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-forths of its membership in the Odelsting

Oman

bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis

al-Dawla (58 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory

powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats;

members elected by popular vote for four-year terms; body has some

limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only

advisory powers)

elections: last held 4 October 2003 (next to be held October 2007)

election results: NA

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; half of the Senate's seats turn

over every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272

seats filled by popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats

reserved for non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in

March 2009); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to

be held in 2007)

election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - PML 39, MMA 18, PPPP 9, MQM 6, PML/N 4, PkMAP 3,

PPP 3, ANP 2, BNP-Awami 1, BNP/M 1, JWP 1, PML/F 1, independents 12;

National Assembly results - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by

party - PML/Q 126, PPPP 81, MMA 63, PML/N 19, MQM 17, NA 16, PML/F

5, PML/J 3, PPP/S 2, BNP 1, JWP 1, MQM-H 1, PAT 1, PkMAP 1, PML/Z 1,

PTI 1, independents 3

Palau

bicameral Parliament 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

November 2008); House of Delegates - last held 2 November 2004 (next

to be held November 2008)

election results: Senate - percent of vote - NA%; seats -

independents 9 (four new members elected); House of Delegates -

percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 16 (one new member

elected)

Panama

unicameral National Assembly (formerly called Legislative

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: as of January 2006, the composition of the legislature is as

follows: seats by party - PRD 42, PA 16, 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 - sometimes referred

to as the House of Assembly (109 seats, 89 elected from open

electorates and 20 from provincial electorates; members elected by

popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 15-29 June 2002 and April and May 2003;

completed in May 2003 (voting in the Southern Highlands was not

completed during the June 2002 election period); next to be held not

later than June 2007

election results: percent of vote by party - National Alliance 18%,

URP 13%, PDM 12%, PPP 8%, Pangu 6%, PAP 5%, PLP 4%, others 34%;

seats by party - National Alliance 19, URP 14, PDM 13, PPP 8, PANGU

6, PAP 5, PLP 4, others 40; note - seats by party as of January 2006

- National Alliance 25, URP 10, PNGP 9, PPP 9, PANGU 6, PAP 12, PLP

4, others 34

note: 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 27 April 2003 (next to be

held April 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003

(next to be held April 2008)

election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -

NA; seats by party - ANR 16, PLRA 12, UNACE 7, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1;

Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party

- ANR 37, PLRA 21, UNACE 10, PQ 10, PPS 2

note: as of January 2006, changes in party affiliation has led to

the composition of the legislature as follows: Chamber of Senators -

seats by party - ANR 18, PLRA 12, UNACE 5, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1;

Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - ANR 39, PLRA 21, UNACE 8, PQ

10, PPS 2

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 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%; 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 (212 members

representing districts plus 24 sectoral party-list members; 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 10 May 2004 (next to be held 14 May

2007); House of Representatives - elections last held 10 May 2004

(next to be held 14 May 2007)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - Lakas 30%, LP

13%, KNP 13%, independents 17%, others 27%; seats by party - Lakas

7, LP 3, KNP (coalition) 3, independents 4, others 6; note - there

are 23 rather than 24 sitting senators because one senator was

elected vice president; House of Representatives - percent of vote

by party - NA; seats by party - Lakas 93, NPC 53, LP 34, LDP 11,

others 20; party-listers 24 (2004)

Pitcairn Islands

unicameral Island Council (10 seats - 5 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 in 24 December 2005 (next to be held December

2006)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Poland

bicameral legislature consisting 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 25 September 2005 (next to be held by

September 2009); Sejm elections last held 25 September 2005 (next to

be held by September 2009)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

party - PiS 49, PO 34, LPR 7, SO 3, PSL 2, independents 5; Sejm -

percent of vote by party - PiS 27%, PO 24.1%, SO 11.4%, SLD 11.3%,

LPR 8%, PSL 7%, other 11.2%; seats by party - PiS 155, PO 133, SO

56, SLD 55, LPR 34, PSL 25, German minorities 2

note: two seats are 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 February 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%,

CDU 7.6%, PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%; seats by party - PS 121, PSD 75, CDU 14,

PP 12, BE 8

Puerto Rico

bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate

(at least 27 seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by

popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of

Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular

vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held

November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004

(next to be held November 2008)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD

40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of

Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%,

PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1

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 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); Luis FORTUNO

elected resident commissioner; results - percent of vote by party -

PNP 48.6%; 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 four years since; the new constitution, which

came into force on 9 June 2005, provides for a 45-member

Consultative 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 in early 2007

Romania

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or

Senat (137 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a

proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the

Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (332 seats; members are

elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation

basis to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be

held in November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November

2004 (next expected to be held November 2008)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party -

PSD-PUR 37.1%, PNL-PD 31.8%, PRM 13.6%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party -

PSD 44, PNL 30, PD 20, PRM 20, PC 11, UDMR 10, independents 2;

Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR

36.8%, PNL-PD 31.5%, PRM 13%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 111,

PNL 66, PD 45, PRM 34, ex-PRM (Ciontu Group) 12, UDMR 22, PC 20, PIN

(GUSA Group) 3, independent 1, ethnic minorities 18

Russia

bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists

of the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (178 seats; as of July

2000, members appointed by the top executive and legislative

officials in each of the 88 federal administrative units - oblasts,

krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal

cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg; members serve four-year

terms) and the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats;

currently elected by proportional representation from party lists

winning at least 7% of the vote; members are elected by direct,

popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: State Duma - last held 7 December 2003 (next to be held

in December 2007)

election results: State Duma - percent of vote received by parties

clearing the 5% threshold entitling them to a proportional share of

the 225 party list seats - United Russia 37.1%, CPRF 12.7%, LDPR

11.6%, Motherland 9.1%; seats by party - United Russia 222, CPRF 53,

LDPR 38, Motherland 37, People's Party 19, Yabloko 4, SPS 2, other

7, independents 65, repeat election required 3; note - seats by

party as of 1 July 2006 - United Russia 309, CPRF 45, LDPR 35,

Motherland 29, People's Party 12, independents 18, vacant 2

Rwanda

bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 members

elected 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 - last held NA, members appointed as part of the

transitional government (next to be held in 2011); Chamber of

Deputies - last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held in 2008)

election results: seats by party under the 2003 Constitution - RPF

40, PSD 7, PL 6, additional 27 members indirectly elected

Saint Helena

unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the

speaker, 3 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 NA 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; 6

members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the

advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 after consultation

with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of

Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from

single-member constituencies 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%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

unicameral General Council or Conseil

General (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon;

members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)

elections: elections last held 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held

in April 2006)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

PS 12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5

note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 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 1 seat to the French

National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002,

second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results -

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 1

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

unicameral House of Assembly (21

seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators;

representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member

constituencies to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 55.26%, NDP 44.68%;

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 direct, popular vote to

serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 4 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 32.9%, Party of

Socialists and Democrats 31.9%, APDS 11.9%, United Left 8.7%, New

Socialist Party 5.4%; seats by party - PDCS 21, Party of Socialists

and Democrats 20, APDS 7, United Left 5, New Socialist Party 3,

other 4

Sao Tome and Principe

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia

Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to

serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP

28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, other 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23,

MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1

Saudi Arabia

Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members

and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); note -

in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced 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; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural

Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council

elections held nationwide from February through April 2005

Senegal

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120

seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve

five-year terms)

note: the former National Assembly had 120 seats, but deputies in

late 2006 voted to expand the number of seats to 140

elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held 25 February

2007) note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to

postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006, they

will now coincide with presidential elections in 2007

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10

Serbia

unicameral National Assembly (250 deputies elected by direct

vote for a four-year term); Kosovo - unicameral Assembly (120

deputies - 100 deputies elected by direct vote and 20 deputies from

minority community members; elected for a three-year term)

elections: last held 21 January 2007 (next to be held 2017); Kosovo

- last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held in 2007)

election results: SRS 81, DSS 64, DSS-NS 47, G17 Plus 19, SPS 16,

LDP Coaliton 15, SVM 3, KZS 2, URS 1, KAPD 1, RP 1; Kosovo - LDK 46,

PDK 30, AAK 9, SLKM 8, Ora 7, Bosniak Vakat coalition 4, KDTP 3,

other 13

Seychelles

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34

seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional

basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve

five-year terms)

elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next to be held in December

2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%,

DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11

Sierra Leone

unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by

popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate

elections; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held 28 July 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC

22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2

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 6 May 2006 (next to be held in 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 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - Smer 29.1%, SDKU 18.4%,

SNS 11.7%, SMK 11.7%, LS-HZDS 8.8%, KDH 8.3%; seats by party - Smer

50, SDKU 31, SNS 19, SMK 20, LS-HZDS 16, KDH 14

Slovenia

bicameral Parliament consisting of a National Assembly or

Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 40 are directly elected and 50 are selected

on a proportional basis; note - the number of directly elected and

proportionally elected seats varies with each election; the

constitution mandates one 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;

this is primarily an advisory body with limited legislative powers;

it may propose laws, ask to review any National Assembly decisions,

and call national referenda; members - representing social,

economic, professional, and local interests - are indirectly elected

to five-year terms by an electoral college)

elections: National Assembly - last held 3 October 2004 (next to be

held October 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - SDS 29.1%, LDS 22.8%,

ZLSD 10.2%, NSi 9%, SLS 6.8%, SNS 6.3%, DeSUS 4.1%, other 11.7%;

seats by party - SDS 29, LDS 23, ZLSD 10, NSi 9, SLS 7, SNS 6, DeSUS

4, Hungarian and Italian minorities 1 each

Solomon Islands

unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members

elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve

four-year terms)

elections: last held 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%,

SIPRA 6.3%, Democratic 4.9%, PAP 6.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, Liberal 5%,

SOCRED 4.3%, 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: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal

Assembly; the new parliament consists of 61 seats assigned to each

of four large clan groups (Darod, Digil-Mirifle, Dir, and Hawiye)

with the remaining 31 seats divided between minority clans

South Africa

bicameral Parliament consisting of the National

Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a

system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and

the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by

each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has

special powers to protect regional interests, including the

safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic

minorities); note - following the implementation of the new

constitution on 3 February 1997, the former Senate was disbanded and

replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no

change in membership and party affiliations, although the new

institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new

constitution

elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces -

last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC

69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%;

seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other

21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%;

seats by party - NA

Spain

bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes

Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members

directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the

regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of

Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are

elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional

representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March

2008); Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be

held March 2008)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 49%, PSOE

37.98%, Entesa Catalona de Progress 5.7%, CiU 1.99%, PNV 2.8%, CC

2.4%; seats by party - PP 102, PSOE 81, Entesa Catalona de Progress

12, CiU 4, PNV 6, CC 3; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by

party - PSOE 43.3%, PP 37.8%, CiU 3.2%, ERC 2.5%, PNV 1.6%, IU 3.2%,

CC 0.9%; seats by party - PSOE 164, PP 148, CiU 10, ERC 8, PNV 7, IU

5, CC 3, other 5

Sri Lanka

unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by

popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation

system by district to serve six-year terms)

elections: last held 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance -

SLFP and JVP (no longer in formal UPFA alliance) 45.6%, UNP 37.83%,

TNA 6.84%, JHU 5.97%, SLMC 2.02%, UPF 0.54%, EPDP 0.27%, others

0.93%; seats by party - UNP 68, SLFP 57, JVP 39, UNP dissident 1,

TNA 22, CWC 8, JHU 7, JHU dissidents 2, SLMC 6, SLMC dissidents 4,

Communist Party 2, LSSP 2, MEP 2, NUA 2, UPF 2, EPDP 1

Sudan

bi-cameral body comprising the National Assembly and Council

of States (replaced unicameral National Assembly of 360 seats);

pending elections and National Election Law, the Presidency

appointed 450 members to the National Assembly according to the

provisions of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement: 52% NCP; 28%

SPLM; 14% other Northerners; 6% other Southerners; 2 representatives

from every state constitute the Council of States; terms in each

chamber are five years following the first elections

elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held 2008-2009

timeframe)

election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointments

under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement

Suriname

unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51

seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NF 39.73%, NDP 22.2%,

VVV 13.79%, A-Com 7.21%, A-1 5.86%, other 7.42%; seats by party - NF

23, NDP 15, VVV 5, A-Com 5, A-1 3

Swaziland

bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body,

consists of the Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of

Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year

terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the

monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year

terms)

elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be

held October 2008)

election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a

nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local

council of each constituency and for each constituency the three

candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are

narrowed to a single winner by a second round

Sweden

unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are

elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to

serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held September

2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%,

Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, People's Party 8.0%, Christian

Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party -

Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, People's Party

28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19

Switzerland

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in

German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in

Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German),

Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian)

(46 seats - consists of two representatives from each canton and one

from each half canton; members serve four-year terms) and the

National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in

French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are

elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation

to serve four-year terms)

elections: Council of States - last held in most cantons 19 October

2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held);

National Council - last held 19 October 2003 (next to be held

October 2007)

election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party -

NA%; seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14, SVP 8, SPS 6, other 3;

National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 26.6%, SPS 23.3%,

FDP 17.3%, CVP 14.4%, Greens 7.4%, other small parties all under 5%;

seats by party - SVP 55, SPS 54, FDP 36, CVP 28, Green Party 13,

other small parties 14

Syria

unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats;

members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 2-3 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents

33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the

constitution reserves half the seats for workers and peasants and

declares the Ba'th Party the leading party of the state and it holds

135 seats

Taiwan

Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41

elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by

participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese

constituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes received

by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote

among aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms)

note: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by the now

defunct National Assembly in June 2005, number of seats in

legislature will be reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with election

in 2007; amendments also eliminated National Assembly thus giving

Taiwan a unicameral legislature

elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be

held in December 2007)

election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP

38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%;

seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7,

independents 4

Tajikistan

bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the

Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon

(63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year

terms) and the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy

(34 seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by local

deputies, 8 appointed by the president; 1 seat reserved for the

former president; all serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 27 February and 13 March 2005 for the Assembly

of Representatives (next to be held February 2010) and 25 March 2005

for the National Assembly (next to be held February 2010)

election results: Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by

party - PDPT 74.9%, CPT 13.6%, Islamic Revival Party 8.9%, other

2.5%; seats by party - PDPT 51, CPT 5, Islamic Revival Party 2,

independents 5; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%;

seats by party - PDPT 29, CPT 2, independents 3

Tanzania

unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats - 232

elected by popular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated by the

president, 5 to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives;

members serve five-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws

that apply to the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly

enacts laws that apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own

House of Representatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the

Zanzibar House of Representatives has 50 seats, directly elected by

universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 14 December 2005 (next to be held in December

2010)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -

NA%; seats by party - CCM 206, CUF 19, CHADEMA 5, other 2, women

appointed by the president 37, Zanzibar representatives 5; Zanzibar

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

party - CCM 30, CUF 19; 1 seat was nullified with a rerun to take

place soon

Thailand

bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consisted of the

Senate or Wuthisapha (200 seats; members elected by popular vote to

serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha

Phuthaen Ratsadon (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to

serve four-year terms); after coup in September 2006, coup leaders

appointed an interim National Assembly with 250 members to act as

Senate and House of Representatives

elections: Senate - last held 19 April 2006; House of

Representatives - last valid election held 6 February 2005;

elections held on 2 April 2006 invalidated by court ruling; coup

leaders scheduled next general election by about October 2007

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - NA; House of Representatives - (2005 election) percent of

vote by party - NA; seats by party - TRT 376, DP 97, TNP 25, PP 2

Togo

unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by

popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next to be held 24 June 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1, independents 1

note: two opposition parties boycotted the election, the Union of

the Forces for Change and the Action Committee for Renewal

Tokelau

unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional

representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to

serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has 6 seats, Fakaofo has 7 seats,

Atafu has 8 seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers

limited legislative power on the General Fono

elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008)

Tonga

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14

reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, 9 for nobles

selected by the country's 33 nobles, and 9 elected by popular vote;

members serve three-year terms)

elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008)

election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT

70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2

Trinidad and Tobago

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31

seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President,

6 by the opposition party for a maximum term of five years) and the

House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular

vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next

to be held by October 2007)

election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM

55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16

note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members

serving four-year terms; last election held January 2005; seats by

party - PNM 11, DAC 1

Tunisia

bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or

Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to

serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85

members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and

professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are

presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms)

elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to

be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005

(next to be held July 2011)

election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -

NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3,

PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Turkey

unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk

Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to

serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next is scheduled to be held 4

November 2007); note - a special rerun of the General Election in

the province of Siirt on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of

Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for

becoming prime minister, on 14 March 2003

election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%,

DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, GP 7.3%, Anavatan 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and other;

seats by party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties

surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats;

seats by party as of 1 December 2006 - AKP 354, CHP 154, Anavatan

21, DYP 4, SHP 1, HYP 1, GP 1, independents 9, vacant 5

Turkmenistan

under the 1992 constitution, there are two

parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk

Maslahaty (supreme legislative body of up to 2,500 delegates, some

of whom are elected by popular vote and some of whom are appointed;

meets at least yearly) and a unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50

seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year

terms); membership is scheduled to be increased to 65 seats

elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be

held December 2008); Mejlis - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be

held December 2008)

election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note -

all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of

Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV

note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of

the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative

organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and

the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its

supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the

constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the

president is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and

the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of

making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative

branches of government

Turks and Caicos Islands

unicameral Legislative Council (21 seats of

which 15 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%;

seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August

2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now

has 5

Tuvalu

unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of

Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve

four-year terms)

elections: last held 3 August 2006 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15

Uganda

unicameral National Assembly (332 members - 215 directly

elected by popular vote, 104 nominated by legally established

special interest groups [women 79, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5,

labor 5], 13 ex officio members; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

NRM 191, FDC 37, UPC 9, DP 8, CD 1, JEEMA 1, Independents 36, other

49

Ukraine

unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats;

allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or

more of the national electoral vote; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party/bloc in 2002 - Party of

Regions 32.1%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 22.3%, Our Ukraine 13.9%, SPU

5.7%, CPU 3.7%; seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 186, Yuliya

Tymoshenko Bloc 129, Our Ukraine 81, SPU 33, CPU 21

United Arab Emirates

unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or

Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the

rulers of the constituent states to serve two-year terms)

elections: elections for one half of the FNC (the other half remains

appointed) are scheduled for December 2006; a new electoral college

- a body of 6,689 Emiratis (including 1,189 women) appointed by the

rulers of the seven emirates - are the only eligible voters and

candidates; a total of 456 FNC electoral college members including

65 women are running for FNC seats

note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

United Kingdom

bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords

(consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and

26 clergy) and House of Commons (646 seats since 2005 elections;

members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless

the House is dissolved earlier)

elections: House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, as

provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House

of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain

there; elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary

peerage arise); House of Commons - last held 5 May 2005 (next to be

held by May 2010)

election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -

Labor 35.2%, Conservative 32.3%, Liberal Democrats 22%, other 10.5%;

seats by party - Labor 356, Conservative 197, Liberal Democrat 62,

other 31; note - as of 10 February 2006 party by seat in the House

of Commons: Labor 353, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 63,

Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 9, Democratic Unionist 9, Sinn

Fein 5 (but refuse to vote), other 11

note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Assembly

(because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer

of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of

1999 and has been suspended four times the latest occurring in

October 2002); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish

Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly

United States

bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats,

one-third are renewed every two years; 2 members are elected from

each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of

Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular

vote to serve two-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held on

November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006

(next to be held on November 2008)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - Democratic Party 49, Republican Party 49, independent 2;

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - Democratic Party 233, Republican Party 202

Uruguay

bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of

Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are

elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has

one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de

Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to

serve five-year terms)

elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to

be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31

October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)

election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -

NA%; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber

of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party

- EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1

Uzbekistan

bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of an

Upper House or Senate (100 seats; 84 members are elected by regional

governing councils to serve five-year terms and 16 are appointed by

the president) and a Lower House or Legislative Chamber (120 seats;

elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 26 December 2004 and 9 January 2005 (next to be

held December 2009)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by

party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;

seats by party - LDPU 41, NDP 32, Fidokorlar 17, MTP 11, Adolat 9,

unaffiliated 10

note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President KARIMOV

Vanuatu

unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular

vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 6 July 2004 (next to be held 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

NUP 10, UMP 8, VP 8, VRP 4, MPP 3, VGP 3, other and independent 16;

note - political party associations are fluid

note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture

and language

Venezuela

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167

seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms;

three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)

elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other

25), opposition 0

Vietnam

unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (498 seats; members

elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held on 20 May 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - CPV 90%, other 10% (the

10% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for

election); seats by party - CPV 447, CPV-approved 51

Virgin Islands

unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by

popular vote to serve two-year terms)

elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -

Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3

note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the

US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006

(next to be held November 2008); results - Donna M. CHRISTENSEN

(Democrat) reelected

Wallis and Futuna

unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee

Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve

five-year terms)

elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held March 2007)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7

note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and

one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate -

elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by September

2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (now

UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16 June 2002

(next to be held by in 2007); results - percent of vote by party -

NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1

Yemen

a new constitutional amendment ratified on 20 February 2001

created a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111

seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of

Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve

six-year terms)

elections: last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

GPC 228, Islah 47, YSP 7, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab

Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 14

Zambia

unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are

elected by popular vote, eight members are appointed by the

president, to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

MMD 72, PF 44, UDA 27, ULP 2, NDF 1, independents 2; seats not

determined 2

Zimbabwe

bicameral Parliament consists of a House of Assembly (150

seats - 120 elected by popular vote for five-year terms, 12

nominated by the president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen

by their peers, and eight occupied by provincial governors appointed

by the president) and a Senate (66 seats - 50 elected by popular

vote for a five-year term, six nominated by the president, 10

nominated by the Council of Chiefs)

elections: House of Assembly last held 31 March 2005 (next to be

held in 2010), Senate last held 26 November 2005 (next to be held in

2010)

election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party -

ZANU-PF 59.6%, MDC 39.5%, other 0.9%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 78,

MDC 41, independents 1; Senate - percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF

73.7%, MDC 20.3%, other 4.4%, independents 1.6%; seats by party -

ZANU-PF 43, MDC 7

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

======================================================================

@2102 Life expectancy at birth (years)

Afghanistan

total population: 43.34 years

male: 43.16 years

female: 43.53 years (2006 est.)

Albania

total population: 77.43 years

male: 74.78 years

female: 80.34 years (2006 est.)

Algeria

total population: 73.26 years

male: 71.68 years

female: 74.92 years (2006 est.)

American Samoa

total population: 76.05 years

male: 72.48 years

female: 79.82 years (2006 est.)

Andorra

total population: 83.51 years

male: 80.61 years

female: 86.61 years (2006 est.)

Angola

total population: 38.62 years

male: 37.47 years

female: 39.83 years (2006 est.)

Anguilla

total population: 77.28 years

male: 74.35 years

female: 80.3 years (2006 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda

total population: 72.16 years

male: 69.78 years

female: 74.66 years (2006 est.)

Argentina

total population: 76.12 years

male: 72.38 years

female: 80.05 years (2006 est.)

Armenia

total population: 71.84 years

male: 68.25 years

female: 76.02 years (2006 est.)

Aruba

total population: 79.28 years

male: 75.95 years

female: 82.78 years (2006 est.)

Australia

total population: 80.5 years

male: 77.64 years

female: 83.52 years (2006 est.)

Austria

total population: 79.07 years

male: 76.17 years

female: 82.11 years (2006 est.)

Azerbaijan

total population: 63.85 years

male: 59.78 years

female: 68.13 years (2006 est.)

Bahamas, The

total population: 65.6 years

male: 62.24 years

female: 69.03 years (2006 est.)

Bahrain

total population: 74.45 years

male: 71.97 years

female: 77 years (2006 est.)

Bangladesh

total population: 62.46 years

male: 62.47 years

female: 62.45 years (2006 est.)

Barbados

total population: 72.79 years

male: 70.79 years

female: 74.82 years (2006 est.)

Belarus

total population: 69.08 years

male: 63.47 years

female: 74.98 years (2006 est.)

Belgium

total population: 78.77 years

male: 75.59 years

female: 82.09 years (2006 est.)

Belize

total population: 68.3 years

male: 66.43 years

female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)

Benin

total population: 53.04 years

male: 51.9 years

female: 54.22 years (2006 est.)

Bermuda

total population: 77.96 years

male: 75.85 years

female: 80.1 years (2006 est.)

Bhutan

total population: 54.78 years

male: 55.02 years

female: 54.53 years (2006 est.)

Bolivia

total population: 65.84 years

male: 63.21 years

female: 68.61 years (2006 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

total population: 78 years

male: 74.39 years

female: 81.88 years (2006 est.)

Botswana

total population: 33.74 years

male: 33.9 years

female: 33.56 years (2006 est.)

Brazil

total population: 71.97 years

male: 68.02 years

female: 76.12 years (2006 est.)

British Virgin Islands

total population: 76.68 years

male: 75.56 years

female: 77.84 years (2006 est.)

Brunei

total population: 75.01 years

male: 72.57 years

female: 77.59 years (2006 est.)

Bulgaria

total population: 72.3 years

male: 68.68 years

female: 76.13 years (2006 est.)

Burkina Faso

total population: 48.85 years

male: 47.33 years

female: 50.42 years (2006 est.)

Burma

total population: 60.97 years

male: 58.07 years

female: 64.03 years (2006 est.)

Burundi

total population: 50.81 years

male: 50.07 years

female: 51.58 years (2006 est.)

Cambodia

total population: 59.29 years

male: 57.35 years

female: 61.32 years (2006 est.)

Cameroon

total population: 51.16 years

male: 50.98 years

female: 51.34 years (2006 est.)

Canada

total population: 80.22 years

male: 76.86 years

female: 83.74 years (2006 est.)

Cape Verde

total population: 70.73 years

male: 67.41 years

female: 74.15 years (2006 est.)

Cayman Islands

total population: 80.07 years

male: 77.45 years

female: 82.74 years (2006 est.)

Central African Republic

total population: 43.54 years

male: 43.46 years

female: 43.62 years (2006 est.)

Chad

total population: 47.52 years

male: 45.88 years

female: 49.21 years (2006 est.)

Chile

total population: 76.77 years

male: 73.49 years

female: 80.21 years (2006 est.)

China

total population: 72.58 years

male: 70.89 years

female: 74.46 years (2006 est.)

Christmas Island

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Colombia

total population: 71.99 years

male: 68.15 years

female: 75.96 years (2006 est.)

Comoros

total population: 62.33 years

male: 60 years

female: 64.72 years (2006 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

total population: 51.46 years

male: 50.01 years

female: 52.94 years (2006 est.)

Congo, Republic of the

total population: 52.8 years

male: 51.65 years

female: 53.98 years (2006 est.)

Cook Islands

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Costa Rica

total population: 77.02 years

male: 74.43 years

female: 79.74 years (2006 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire

total population: 48.82 years

male: 46.24 years

female: 51.48 years (2006 est.)

Croatia

total population: 74.68 years

male: 71.03 years

female: 78.53 years (2006 est.)

Cuba

total population: 77.41 years

male: 75.11 years

female: 79.85 years (2006 est.)

Cyprus

total population: 77.82 years

male: 75.44 years

female: 80.31 years (2006 est.)

Czech Republic

total population: 76.22 years

male: 72.94 years

female: 79.69 years (2006 est.)

Denmark

total population: 77.79 years

male: 75.49 years

female: 80.22 years (2006 est.)

Djibouti

total population: 43.17 years

male: 41.86 years

female: 44.52 years (2006 est.)

Dominica

total population: 74.87 years

male: 71.95 years

female: 77.93 years (2006 est.)

Dominican Republic

total population: 71.73 years

male: 70.21 years

female: 73.33 years (2006 est.)

East Timor

total population: 66.26 years

male: 63.96 years

female: 68.67 years (2006 est.)

Ecuador

total population: 76.42 years

male: 73.55 years

female: 79.43 years (2006 est.)

Egypt

total population: 71.29 years

male: 68.77 years

female: 73.93 years (2006 est.)

El Salvador

total population: 71.49 years

male: 67.88 years

female: 75.28 years (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea

total population: 49.54 years

male: 48 years

female: 51.13 years (2006 est.)

Eritrea

total population: 59.03 years

male: 57.44 years

female: 60.66 years (2006 est.)

Estonia

total population: 72.04 years

male: 66.58 years

female: 77.83 years (2006 est.)

Ethiopia

total population: 49.03 years

male: 47.86 years

female: 50.24 years (2006 est.)

European Union

total population: 78.3 years

male: 75.1 years

female: 81.6 years (2006 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Faroe Islands

total population: 79.35 years

male: 75.91 years

female: 82.8 years (2006 est.)

Fiji

total population: 69.82 years

male: 67.32 years

female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Finland

total population: 78.5 years

male: 74.99 years

female: 82.17 years (2006 est.)

France

total population: 79.73 years

male: 76.1 years

female: 83.54 years (2006 est.)

French Polynesia

total population: 76.1 years

male: 73.69 years

female: 78.63 years (2006 est.)

Gabon

total population: 54.49 years

male: 53.21 years

female: 55.81 years (2006 est.)

Gambia, The

total population: 54.14 years

male: 52.3 years

female: 56.03 years (2006 est.)

Gaza Strip

total population: 71.97 years

male: 70.67 years

female: 73.34 years (2006 est.)

Georgia

total population: 76.09 years

male: 72.8 years

female: 79.87 years (2006 est.)

Germany

total population: 78.8 years

male: 75.81 years

female: 81.96 years (2006 est.)

Ghana

total population: 58.87 years

male: 58.07 years

female: 59.69 years (2006 est.)

Gibraltar

total population: 79.8 years

male: 76.92 years

female: 82.83 years (2006 est.)

Greece

total population: 79.24 years

male: 76.72 years

female: 81.91 years (2006 est.)

Greenland

total population: 69.94 years

male: 66.36 years

female: 73.6 years (2006 est.)

Grenada

total population: 64.87 years

male: 63.06 years

female: 66.68 years (2006 est.)

Guam

total population: 78.58 years

male: 75.52 years

female: 81.83 years (2006 est.)

Guatemala

total population: 69.38 years

male: 67.65 years

female: 71.18 years (2006 est.)

Guernsey

total population: 80.42 years

male: 77.41 years

female: 83.53 years (2006 est.)

Guinea

total population: 49.5 years

male: 48.34 years

female: 50.7 years (2006 est.)

Guinea-Bissau

total population: 46.87 years

male: 45.05 years

female: 48.75 years (2006 est.)

Guyana

total population: 65.86 years

male: 63.21 years

female: 68.65 years (2006 est.)

Haiti

total population: 53.23 years

male: 51.89 years

female: 54.6 years (2006 est.)

Honduras

total population: 69.33 years

male: 67.75 years

female: 70.98 years (2006 est.)

Hong Kong

total population: 81.59 years

male: 78.9 years

female: 84.5 years (2006 est.)

Hungary

total population: 72.66 years

male: 68.45 years

female: 77.14 years (2006 est.)

Iceland

total population: 80.31 years

male: 78.23 years

female: 82.48 years (2006 est.)

India

total population: 64.71 years

male: 63.9 years

female: 65.57 years (2006 est.)

Indonesia

total population: 69.87 years

male: 67.42 years

female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Iran

total population: 70.26 years

male: 68.86 years

female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)

Iraq

total population: 69.01 years

male: 67.76 years

female: 70.31 years (2006 est.)

Ireland

total population: 77.73 years

male: 75.11 years

female: 80.52 years (2006 est.)

Isle of Man

total population: 78.49 years

male: 75.14 years

female: 82.02 years (2006 est.)

Israel

total population: 79.46 years

male: 77.33 years

female: 81.7 years (2006 est.)

Italy

total population: 79.81 years

male: 76.88 years

female: 82.94 years (2006 est.)

Jamaica

total population: 73.24 years

male: 71.54 years

female: 75.03 years (2006 est.)

Japan

total population: 81.25 years

male: 77.96 years

female: 84.7 years (2006 est.)

Jersey

total population: 79.38 years

male: 76.89 years

female: 82.05 years (2006 est.)

Jordan

total population: 78.4 years

male: 75.9 years

female: 81.05 years (2006 est.)

Kazakhstan

total population: 66.89 years

male: 61.56 years

female: 72.52 years (2006 est.)

Kenya

total population: 48.93 years

male: 49.78 years

female: 48.07 years (2006 est.)

Kiribati

total population: 62.08 years

male: 59.06 years

female: 65.24 years (2006 est.)

Korea, North

total population: 71.65 years

male: 68.92 years

female: 74.51 years (2006 est.)

Korea, South

total population: 77.04 years

male: 73.61 years

female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)

Kuwait

total population: 77.2 years

male: 76.13 years

female: 78.31 years (2006 est.)

Kyrgyzstan

total population: 68.49 years

male: 64.48 years

female: 72.7 years (2006 est.)

Laos

total population: 55.49 years

male: 53.45 years

female: 57.61 years (2006 est.)

Latvia

total population: 71.33 years

male: 66.08 years

female: 76.85 years (2006 est.)

Lebanon

total population: 72.88 years

male: 70.41 years

female: 75.48 years (2006 est.)

Lesotho

total population: 34.4 years

male: 35.55 years

female: 33.21 years (2006 est.)

Liberia

total population: 39.65 years

male: 37.99 years

female: 41.35 years (2006 est.)

Libya

total population: 76.69 years

male: 74.46 years

female: 79.02 years (2006 est.)

Liechtenstein

total population: 79.68 years

male: 76.1 years

female: 83.28 years (2006 est.)

Lithuania

total population: 74.2 years

male: 69.2 years

female: 79.49 years (2006 est.)

Luxembourg

total population: 78.89 years

male: 75.6 years

female: 82.38 years (2006 est.)

Macau

total population: 82.19 years

male: 79.36 years

female: 85.17 years (2006 est.)

Macedonia

total population: 73.97 years

male: 71.51 years

female: 76.62 years (2006 est.)

Madagascar

total population: 57.34 years

male: 54.93 years

female: 59.82 years (2006 est.)

Malawi

total population: 41.7 years

male: 41.93 years

female: 41.45 years (2006 est.)

Malaysia

total population: 72.5 years

male: 69.8 years

female: 75.38 years (2006 est.)

Maldives

total population: 64.41 years

male: 63.08 years

female: 65.8 years (2006 est.)

Mali

total population: 49 years

male: 47.05 years

female: 51.01 years (2006 est.)

Malta

total population: 79.01 years

male: 76.83 years

female: 81.31 years (2006 est.)

Marshall Islands

total population: 70.31 years

male: 68.33 years

female: 72.39 years (2006 est.)

Mauritania

total population: 53.12 years

male: 50.88 years

female: 55.42 years (2006 est.)

Mauritius

total population: 72.63 years

male: 68.66 years

female: 76.66 years (2006 est.)

Mayotte

total population: 61.76 years

male: 59.57 years

female: 64.02 years (2006 est.)

Mexico

total population: 75.41 years

male: 72.63 years

female: 78.33 years (2006 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of

total population: 70.05 years

male: 68.24 years

female: 71.95 years (2006 est.)

Moldova

total population: 65.65 years

male: 61.61 years

female: 69.88 years (2006 est.)

Monaco

total population: 79.69 years

male: 75.85 years

female: 83.74 years (2006 est.)

Mongolia

total population: 64.89 years

male: 62.64 years

female: 67.25 years (2006 est.)

Montserrat

total population: 78.85 years

male: 76.67 years

female: 81.14 years (2006 est.)

Morocco

total population: 70.94 years

male: 68.62 years

female: 73.37 years (2006 est.)

Mozambique

total population: 39.82 years

male: 39.53 years

female: 40.13 years (2006 est.)

Namibia

total population: 43.39 years

male: 44.46 years

female: 42.29 years (2006 est.)

Nauru

total population: 63.08 years

male: 59.5 years

female: 66.84 years (2006 est.)

Nepal

total population: 60.18 years

male: 60.43 years

female: 59.91 years (2006 est.)

Netherlands

total population: 78.96 years

male: 76.39 years

female: 81.67 years (2006 est.)

Netherlands Antilles

total population: 76.03 years

male: 73.76 years

female: 78.41 years (2006 est.)

New Caledonia

total population: 74.27 years

male: 71.29 years

female: 77.39 years (2006 est.)

New Zealand

total population: 78.81 years

male: 75.82 years

female: 81.93 years (2006 est.)

Nicaragua

total population: 70.63 years

male: 68.55 years

female: 72.81 years (2006 est.)

Niger

total population: 43.76 years

male: 43.8 years

female: 43.73 years (2006 est.)

Nigeria

total population: 47.08 years

male: 46.52 years

female: 47.66 years (2006 est.)

Niue

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Norfolk Island

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Northern Mariana Islands

total population: 76.09 years

male: 73.5 years

female: 78.83 years (2006 est.)

Norway

total population: 79.54 years

male: 76.91 years

female: 82.31 years (2006 est.)

Oman

total population: 73.37 years

male: 71.14 years

female: 75.72 years (2006 est.)

Pakistan

total population: 63.39 years

male: 62.4 years

female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

Palau

total population: 70.42 years

male: 67.26 years

female: 73.77 years (2006 est.)

Panama

total population: 75.22 years

male: 72.68 years

female: 77.87 years (2006 est.)

Papua New Guinea

total population: 65.28 years

male: 63.08 years

female: 67.58 years (2006 est.)

Paraguay

total population: 75.1 years

male: 72.56 years

female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)

Peru

total population: 69.84 years

male: 68.05 years

female: 71.71 years (2006 est.)

Philippines

total population: 70.21 years

male: 67.32 years

female: 73.24 years (2006 est.)

Pitcairn Islands

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Poland

total population: 74.97 years

male: 70.95 years

female: 79.23 years (2006 est.)

Portugal

total population: 77.7 years

male: 74.43 years

female: 81.2 years (2006 est.)

Puerto Rico

total population: 78.4 years

male: 74.46 years

female: 82.54 years (2006 est.)

Qatar

total population: 73.9 years

male: 71.37 years

female: 76.57 years (2006 est.)

Romania

total population: 71.63 years

male: 68.14 years

female: 75.34 years (2006 est.)

Russia

total population: 67.08 years

male: 60.45 years

female: 74.1 years (2006 est.)

Rwanda

total population: 47.3 years

male: 46.26 years

female: 48.38 years (2006 est.)

Saint Helena

total population: 77.93 years

male: 75.02 years

female: 80.98 years (2006 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis

total population: 72.4 years

male: 69.56 years

female: 75.42 years (2006 est.)

Saint Lucia

total population: 73.84 years

male: 70.29 years

female: 77.65 years (2006 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

total population: 78.61 years

male: 76.27 years

female: 81.06 years (2006 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

total population: 73.85 years

male: 71.99 years

female: 75.77 years (2006 est.)

Samoa

total population: 71 years

male: 68.2 years

female: 73.94 years (2006 est.)

San Marino

total population: 81.71 years

male: 78.23 years

female: 85.5 years (2006 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe

total population: 67.31 years

male: 65.73 years

female: 68.95 years (2006 est.)

Saudi Arabia

total population: 75.67 years

male: 73.66 years

female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)

Senegal

total population: 59.25 years

male: 57.7 years

female: 60.85 years (2006 est.)

Serbia

total population: 74 years

male: 71 years

female: 76 years

Seychelles

total population: 72.08 years

male: 66.69 years

female: 77.63 years (2006 est.)

Sierra Leone

total population: 40.22 years

male: 38.05 years

female: 42.46 years (2006 est.)

Singapore

total population: 81.71 years

male: 79.13 years

female: 84.49 years (2006 est.)

Slovakia

total population: 74.73 years

male: 70.76 years

female: 78.89 years (2006 est.)

Slovenia

total population: 76.33 years

male: 72.63 years

female: 80.29 years (2006 est.)

Solomon Islands

total population: 72.91 years

male: 70.4 years

female: 75.55 years (2006 est.)

Somalia

total population: 48.47 years

male: 46.71 years

female: 50.28 years (2006 est.)

South Africa

total population: 42.73 years

male: 43.25 years

female: 42.19 years (2006 est.)

Spain

total population: 79.65 years

male: 76.32 years

female: 83.2 years (2006 est.)

Sri Lanka

total population: 73.41 years

male: 70.83 years

female: 76.12 years (2006 est.)

Sudan

total population: 58.92 years

male: 57.69 years

female: 60.21 years (2006 est.)

Suriname

total population: 69.01 years

male: 66.66 years

female: 71.47 years (2006 est.)

Svalbard

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Swaziland

total population: 32.62 years

male: 32.1 years

female: 33.17 years (2006 est.)

Sweden

total population: 80.51 years

male: 78.29 years

female: 82.87 years (2006 est.)

Switzerland

total population: 80.51 years

male: 77.69 years

female: 83.48 years (2006 est.)

Syria

total population: 70.32 years

male: 69.01 years

female: 71.7 years (2006 est.)

Taiwan

total population: 77.43 years

male: 74.67 years

female: 80.47 years (2006 est.)

Tajikistan

total population: 64.94 years

male: 62.03 years

female: 68 years (2006 est.)

Tanzania

total population: 45.64 years

male: 44.93 years

female: 46.37 years (2006 est.)

Thailand

total population: 72.25 years

male: 69.95 years

female: 74.68 years (2006 est.)

Togo

total population: 57.42 years

male: 55.41 years

female: 59.49 years (2006 est.)

Tokelau

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Tonga

total population: 69.82 years

male: 67.32 years

female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago

total population: 66.76 years

male: 65.71 years

female: 67.86 years (2006 est.)

Tunisia

total population: 75.12 years

male: 73.4 years

female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)

Turkey

total population: 72.62 years

male: 70.18 years

female: 75.18 years (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan

total population: 61.83 years

male: 58.43 years

female: 65.41 years (2006 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands

total population: 74.73 years

male: 72.48 years

female: 77.08 years (2006 est.)

Tuvalu

total population: 68.32 years

male: 66.08 years

female: 70.66 years (2006 est.)

Uganda

total population: 52.67 years

male: 51.68 years

female: 53.69 years (2006 est.)

Ukraine

total population: 69.98 years

male: 64.71 years

female: 75.59 years (2006 est.)

United Arab Emirates

total population: 75.44 years

male: 72.92 years

female: 78.08 years (2006 est.)

United Kingdom

total population: 78.54 years

male: 76.09 years

female: 81.13 years (2006 est.)

United States

total population: 77.85 years

male: 75.02 years

female: 80.82 years (2006 est.)

Uruguay

total population: 76.33 years

male: 73.12 years

female: 79.65 years (2006 est.)

Uzbekistan

total population: 64.58 years

male: 61.19 years

female: 68.14 years (2006 est.)

Vanuatu

total population: 62.85 years

male: 61.34 years

female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

Venezuela

total population: 74.54 years

male: 71.49 years

female: 77.81 years (2006 est.)

Vietnam

total population: 70.85 years

male: 68.05 years

female: 73.85 years (2006 est.)

Virgin Islands

total population: 79.05 years

male: 75.24 years

female: 83.09 years (2006 est.)

Wallis and Futuna

total population: NA years

male: NA years

female: NA years

West Bank

total population: 73.27 years

male: 71.5 years

female: 75.15 years (2006 est.)

Western Sahara

total population: NA years

male: NA years

female: NA years

World

total population: 64.77 years

male: 63.16 years

female: 66.47 years (2006 est.)

Yemen

total population: 62.12 years

male: 60.23 years

female: 64.11 years (2006 est.)

Zambia

total population: 40.03 years

male: 39.76 years

female: 40.31 years (2006 est.)

Zimbabwe

total population: 39.29 years

male: 40.39 years

female: 38.16 years (2006 est.)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@2103 Literacy (%)

Afghanistan

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 36%

male: 51%

female: 21% (1999 est.)

Albania

definition: age 9 and over can read and write

total population: 86.5%

male: 93.3%

female: 79.5% (2003 est.)

Algeria

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 70%

male: 78.8%

female: 61% (2003 est.)

American Samoa

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97%

male: 98%

female: 97% (1980 est.)

Andorra

definition: NA

total population: 100%

male: 100%

female: 100%

Angola

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 66.8%

male: 82.1%

female: 53.8% (2001 est.)

Anguilla

definition: age 12 and over can read and write

total population: 95%

male: 95%

female: 95% (1984 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda

definition: age 15 and over has completed five

or more years of schooling

total population: 85.8%

male: NA%

female: NA% (2003 est.)

Argentina

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97.1%

male: 97.1%

female: 97.1% (2003 est.)

Armenia

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.6%

male: 99.4%

female: 98% (2003 est.)

Aruba

definition: NA

total population: 97%

male: NA%

female: NA%

Australia

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%

male: 99%

female: 99% (2003 est.)

Austria

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98%

male: NA

female: NA

Azerbaijan

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.8%

male: 99.5%

female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Bahamas, The

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 95.6%

male: 94.7%

female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Bahrain

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 89.1%

male: 91.9%

female: 85% (2003 est.)

Bangladesh

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 43.1%

male: 53.9%

female: 31.8% (2003 est.)

Barbados

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 99.7%

male: 99.7%

female: 99.7% (2002 est.)

Belarus

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.6%

male: 99.8%

female: 99.5% (2003 est.)

Belgium

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%

male: 99%

female: 99% (2003 est.)

Belize

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 94.1%

male: 94.1%

female: 94.1% (2003 est.)

Benin

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 33.6%

male: 46.4%

female: 22.6% (2002 est.)

Bermuda

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98%

male: 98%

female: 99% (2005 est.)

Bhutan

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 47%

male: 60%

female: 34% (2003 est.)

Bolivia

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 87.2%

male: 93.1%

female: 81.6% (2003 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 94.6%

male: 98.4%

female: 91.1% (2000 est.)

Botswana

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 79.8%

male: 76.9%

female: 82.4% (2003 est.)

Brazil

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 86.4%

male: 86.1%

female: 86.6% (2003 est.)

British Virgin Islands

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)

male: NA%

female: NA%

Brunei

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 93.9%

male: 96.3%

female: 91.4% (2002)

Bulgaria

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.6%

male: 99.1%

female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Burkina Faso

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 26.6%

male: 36.9%

female: 16.6% (2003 est.)

Burma

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 85.3%

male: 89.2%

female: 81.4% (2002)

Burundi

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 51.6%

male: 58.5%

female: 45.2% (2003 est.)

Cambodia

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 73.6%

male: 84.7%

female: 64.1% (2004 est.)

Cameroon

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 79%

male: 84.7%

female: 73.4% (2003 est.)

Canada

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%

male: 99%

female: 99% (2003 est.)

Cape Verde

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 76.6%

male: 85.8%

female: 69.2% (2003 est.)

Cayman Islands

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 98%

male: 98%

female: 98% (1970 est.)

Central African Republic

definition: age 15 and over can read and

write

total population: 51%

male: 63.3%

female: 39.9% (2003 est.)

Chad

definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic

total population: 47.5%

male: 56%

female: 39.3% (2003 est.)

Chile

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 96.2%

male: 96.4%

female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

China

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 90.9%

male: 95.1%

female: 86.5% (2002)

Christmas Island

NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

NA

Colombia

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 92.5%

male: 92.4%

female: 92.6% (2003 est.)

Comoros

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 56.5%

male: 63.6%

female: 49.3% (2003 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

definition: age 15 and over can

read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba

total population: 65.5%

male: 76.2%

female: 55.1% (2003 est.)

Congo, Republic of the

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 83.8%

male: 89.6%

female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

Cook Islands

definition: NA

total population: 95%

male: NA%

female: NA%

Costa Rica

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 96%

male: 95.9%

female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 50.9%

male: 57.9%

female: 43.6% (2003 est.)