Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (117)

Algeria
bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of Nations
(Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the
president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote to serve six-year
terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed
every three years) and the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis
Al-Shabi Al-Watani (389 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: National People's Assembly - last held 17 May 2007 (next
to be held in 2012); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 28
December 2006 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - FLN 136, RND 61, MSP 52, PT 26, RCD 19,
FNA 13, other 49, independents 33; Council of Nations - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 29, RND 12, MSP 3, RCD 1,
independents 3, presidential appointees (unknown affiliation) 24;
note - Council seating reflects the number of replaced council
members rather than the whole Council

American Samoa
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of
the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs to serve
four-year terms)and the House of Representatives (21 seats; 20
members are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting
delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008
(next to be held in November 2010); Senate - last held 4 November
2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - independents 18
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives; election last held on 4 November 2008
(next to be held in November 2010); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
reelected as delegate

Andorra
unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General
de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote,
14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of
the seven parishes; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 26 April 2009 (next to be held in
March-April 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.03%, Reformist
Coaliton 32.34%, Andorra for Change 18.86%, other 3.77%; seats by
party - PS 14, Reformist Coalition 11, Andorra for Change 3

Angola
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220
seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5-6 September 2008 (next to be held in
September 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 81.6%, UNITA
10.4%, PRS 3.2%, ND 1.2%, FNLA 1.1%, other 2.5%; seats by party -
MPLA 191, UNITA 16, PRS 8, FNLA 3, ND 2

Anguilla
unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats; 7 members elected
by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, AUM 19.4%,
ANSA 19.2%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA
2, AUM 1

Antigua and Barbuda
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17
seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of
Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional
representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2009 (next
to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 50.9%, ALP 47.2%,
BPM 1.1%; seats by party - UPP 9, ALP 7, BPM 1

Argentina
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists
of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote;
presently one-third of the members elected every two years to serve
six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are
elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two
years to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 28 October 2007 (next to be held in
2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 28 October 2007
(next to be held in 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA;
seats by bloc or party - FpV 12, UCR 4, CC 4, other 4; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or
party - FpV 5, UCR 10, PJ 10, PRO 6, CC 16, FJ 2, other 31; note -
as of 1 January 2009, the composition of the entire legislature is
as follows: Senate - seats by bloc or party - FpV 42, UCR 8, CC 2,
other 20; Chamber of Deputies - seats by bloc or party - FpV 119,
UCR 24, CC 18, PS 10, PRO 9, other 77

Armenia
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov
(131 seats; members elected by popular vote, 90 members elected by
party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held in the spring of
2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - HHK 33.9%, Prosperous
Armenia 15.1%, ARF (Dashnak) 13.2%, Rule of Law 7.1%, Heritage Party
6%, other 24.7%; seats by party - HHK 64, Prosperous Armenia 18, ARF
(Dashnak) 16, Rule of Law 9, Heritage Party 7, independent 17

Aruba
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by
direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 September 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - AVP 48%, MEP 35.9%, PDR
5.7%; seats by party - AVP 12, MEP 8, PDR 1

Australia
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76
seats; 12 members from each of the six states and 2 from each of the
two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected
every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all
territory members are elected every three years) and the House of
Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential
vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer
than 5 representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be held no
later than 2010); House of Representatives - last held 24 November
2007 (next to be called no later than 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 37, Australian Labor
Party 32, Australian Greens 5, Family First Party 1, independent 1;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Australian Labor Party 83, Liberal Party 55, National Party
10, independents 2

Austria
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of
Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members chosen by state
parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members in proportion
to its population; members serve five- or six-year terms) and the
National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by
direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to
be held by September 2013)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe
29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%;
seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20

Azerbaijan
unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November
2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, Motherland 2, other parties
with single seats 9, independents 42, undetermined 4

Bahamas, The
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats;
members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the
prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms)
and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct
popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve
the parliament and call elections at any time
elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%;
seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18

Bahrain
bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council
(40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of
Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly
elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December
2006 (next election to be held in 2010)
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
society - NA; seats by society - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni
Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11;
note - seats by society as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala
8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4,
unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with
al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1

Bangladesh
unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300
seats elected by popular vote from single territorial
constituencies; members serve five-year terms
elections: last held 29 December 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - AL 49%, BNP 33.2%, JP
7%, JIB 4.6%, other 6.2%; seats by party - AL 230, BNP 30, JP 27,
JIB 2, other 11

Barbados
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats;
members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the
Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at
his discretion) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are
elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 15 January 2008 (next to be
called in 2013)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP
52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by party - DLP 20, BLP 10

Belarus
bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie
consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64
seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and eight members
appointed by the president, to serve four-year terms) and the
Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Palata Predstaviteley - last held 28 September and 3
October 2008 (next to be held fall of 2012); international observers
determined that despite minor improvements the election ultimately
fell short of democratic standards; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won
every seat
election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA

Belgium
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in
Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by
popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year
terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van
Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in
French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on
the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 June 2007
(next to be held no later than June 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA
19.4%, Open VLD 12.4%, MR 12.3%, VB 11.9%, PS 10.2%, SP.A-Spirit
10%, CDH 5.9%, Ecolo 5.8%, Groen! 3.6%, Dedecker List 3.4%, FN 2.3%,
other 2.8%; seats by party - CDV 12, MR 11, Open VLD 9, VB 8, PS 7,
SP.A 6, CDH 5, Ecolo 5, Groen! 2, LDD 1, FN 1, independents 4;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA 18.5%, MR
12.5%, VB 12%, Open VLD 11.8%, PS 10.9%, SP.A-Spirit 10.3%, CDH
6.1%, Ecolo 5.1%, Dedecker List 4%, Groen! 4%, FN 2%, other 2.8%;
seats by party - CDV 23, N-VA 7, MR 23, VB 17, Open VLD 18, PS 20,
SP.A 14, CDH 10, Ecolo 8, Dedecker List 5, Groen! 4, FN 1
note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six
governments, each with its own legislative assembly

Belize
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats;
members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the
prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and
1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and
Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce
and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National
Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; to
serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (31 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2008
(next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 56.3%, PUP 40.9%;
seats by party - UDP 25, PUP 6

Benin
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 March 2007 (next to be held by March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FCBE 35, ADD 20, PRD 10, other and independents 18

Bermuda
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats;
members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition)
and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve up to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held 18 December 2007 (next to be
held not later than 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, UBP 47.3%;
seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Bhutan
bicameral Parliament consists of the non-partisan National
Council (25 seats; 20 members elected by each of the 20 electoral
districts (dzongkhags) for four-year terms and 5 members nominated
by the King); and the National Assembly (47 seats; members elected
by direct, popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: National Council elections last held on 31 December 2007
and 29 January 2008 (next to be held by December 2012); National
Assembly elections last held on 24 March 2008 (next to be held by
March 2013)
election results: National Council - NA; National Assembly - percent
of vote by party - DPT 67%, PDP 33%; seats by party - DPT 45, PDP 2

Bolivia
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are
elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
seats; 70 members are directly elected from their districts and 60
are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms); note - under representational rules established by
the 2009 Constitution, the National Congress will become the
Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa
Plurinacional; the number of Deputies will remain at 130, but the
number of Senators will rise to 36
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held
18 December 2005 (next to be held in December 2009)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 73,
PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6

Bosnia and Herzegovina
bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina
consists of 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); and the national House of
Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats, 28 seats allocated
for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats for the
Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote on the basis of
proportional representation, 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: House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next
to be constituted in 2007); national House of Representatives -
elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: House of Peoples - percent of vote by
party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; 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,
HDZ1990 2, other 5
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that
consists of a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17
Serb, 7 other); last constituted December 2002; and 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, HDZ1990 7,
other 14; 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, SBiH 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 ex-officio 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 16 October 2009
(next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 53.3%, BNF 21.9%,
BCP 19.2%, 2.3%, other 4.3%; seats by party - BDP 45, BNF 6, BCP 4,
BAM 1, other 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 and two-thirds elected
every four years, alternately) 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 in October 2010 for two-thirds of the
Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be
held in 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; 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; note - as of 1 January 2009, the composition of the
entire legislature is as follows: Federal Senate - seats by party -
PMDB 21, DEM (formerly PFL) 12, PSDB 13, PT 12, PTB 7, PDT 5, PR 4,
PSB 2, PCdoB 1, PRB 1, PP 1, PSC 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies -
seats by party - PMDB 95, PT 79, PSDB 59, DEM (formerly PFL) 53, PR
44, PP 40, PSB 29, PDT 25, PTB 19, PPS 14, PV 14, PCdoB 13, PSC 11,
PMN 5, PRB 4, PHS 3, PSOL 3, PTC 1, PTdoB 1

British Virgin Islands
unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected
seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general;
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 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%,
independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1

Brunei
The Sultan appointed a council with 29 members as of 2
September 2005; the council has met in March of each year since then
elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)
note: The Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first
time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; it passed
constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15
elected members

Bulgaria
unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 July 2009 (next to be held mid-2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - GERB 39.7%, BSP 17.7%,
MRF 14.4%, ATAKA 9.4%, Blue Coalition 6.8%, RZS 4.1%, other 7.9%;
seats by party - GERB 116, BSP 40, MRF 38, ATAKA 21, Blue Coalition
15, RZS 10

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 6 May 2007 (next to
be held in May 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
CDP 73, ADF-RDA 14, UPR 5, UNIR-MS 4, CFD-B 3, UPS 2, PDP-PS 2, RDB
2, PDS 2, PAREN 1, PAI 1, RPC 1, UDPS 1

Burma
a unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw consisting of
485 seats with members elected by popular vote was elected in 1990
but was never seated; according to the terms of the constitution
approved on 10 May 2008, a bicameral Pyidaungsu Hluttaw consisting
of an upper house with a maximum of 224 seats and a lower house with
a maximum of 440 seats will be selected in elections in 2010
elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by
junta to convene (junta has announced plans to hold elections in
2010)
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 Senate (54
seats; 34 members elected by indirect vote to serve five-year terms,
with remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of
state) and 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)
elections: Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in July
2010); National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held in
July 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - CNDD-FDD 30, FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1; 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

Cambodia
bicameral, consists of 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) and the National Assembly (123 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in
January 2011); National Assembly - last held 27 July 2008 (next to
be held in July 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%,
FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP
2; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 58%, SRP 22%,
HRP 7%; NRP 6%; FUNCINPEC 5%; others 2%; seats by party - CPP 90,
SRP 26, HRP 3, FUNCINPEC 2, NRP 2

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 22 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
CPDM 140, SDF 14, UDC 4, UNDP 4, MP 1, vacant 17
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 (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general with the
advice of the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of
age) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats;
members elected by direct, popular vote to serve a maximum of
five-year terms starting in 2009 elections)
elections: House of Commons - last held 14 October 2008 (next to be
held no later than 19 October 2012)
election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -
Conservative Party 37.6%, Liberal Party 26.2%, New Democratic Party
18.2%, Bloc Quebecois 10%, Greens 6.8%, other 1%; seats by party -
Conservative Party 143, Liberal Party 77, New Democratic Party 37,
Bloc Quebecois 49, 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, UCID 2

Cayman Islands
unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; 18 elected
by popular vote and 2 ex officio members from The Cabinet; to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 May 2009 (next to be held not later than May
2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
UDP 9, PPM 5, independent 1

Central African Republic
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale (105 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
in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
KNK 42, MLPC 11, RDC 8, PSD 4, FPP 2, ADP 2, LONDO 1, independents
34, other 1

Chad
unicameral National Assembly (155 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - the 1996 constitution
called for a Senate that has never been formed
elections: National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be
held by 2009); note - legislative elections, originally scheduled
for 2006, were first delayed by National Assembly action and
subsequently by an accord, signed in August 2007, between government
and opposition parties
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, UNDR 5, URD 3, other 11

Chile
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
the Senate or Senado (38 seats; members elected by popular vote to
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 in
December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 2005
(next to be held in 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; note - as of 8 January 2008: Senate -
seats by party - CPD 18, (PDC 5, PS 8, PPD 2, PRSD 3), APC 16 (UDI
9, RN 7), independent 4; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - CPD
57 (PDC 16, PPD 19, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 53 (UDI 33, RN 20),
independent 10.

China
unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin
Daibiao Dahui (2,987 seats; members elected by municipal, regional,
and provincial people's congresses, and People's Liberation Army to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held December 2007-February 2008; date of next
election - late 2012 to early 2013
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987
note: only members of the CCP, its eight allied parties, and
sympathetic independent candidates are elected

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 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009)
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 2007 (next to be held in May 2009)

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 18 by
universal suffrage; to serve for five years);
elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held on 2
August 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 Senate (108 seats; members elected by provincial assemblies to
serve five-year terms) and a National Assembly (500 seats; 61
members elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies,
439 members elected by open list proportional-representation in
multi-member constituencies; to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 19 January 2007 (next to be held by
2012); National Assembly - last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held
in July 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PPRD 22, MLC 14, FR 7, RCD 7, PDC 6, CDC 3, MSR 3, PALU 2,
independents 26, others 18 (political parties that won a single
seat); 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
10 or fewer seats)

Congo, Republic of the
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate
(72 seats; members are elected by indirect 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 5 August 2008 (next to be held in
2013); National Assembly - last held 24 June and 5 August 2007 (next
to be held in 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - RMP 33, FDU 23, UPADS 2, independents 7, other 7; National
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 46,
MCDDI 11, UPADS 11, MAR 5, MSD 5, independents 37, other 22

Cook Islands
bicameral Parliament consisting of a House of Ariki (or
upper house) made up of traditional leaders and a Legislative
Assembly (or lower house) (24 seats; members elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
note: the House of Ariki advises on traditional matters and
maintains considerable influence but has no legislative powers
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

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 in February
2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PLN 25, PAC 17, PML 6, PUSC 5, PASE 1, PFA 1, PRN 1, PUN 1; note -
as of 1 January 2009: seats by party - PLN 25, PAC 16, PML 5, PUSC
5, PASE 1, PFA 1, PRN 1, independent 3

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 (elections originally scheduled for 2005 have been
repeatedly postponed by the government)
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 was scheduled to be created in October 2006 elections
that never took place

Croatia
unicameral Assembly or Sabor (153 seats; members elected
from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 November 2007 (next to be held in November
2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by
party - HDZ 66, SDP 57, HNS 6, HSS 6, HDSSB 3, IDS 3, SDSS 3, other 9

Cuba
unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea
Nacional del Poder Popular (number of seats in the National Assembly
is based on population; 614 seats; members elected directly from
slates approved by special candidacy commissions to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2008 (next to be held in January
2013)
election results: Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party,
and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed

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 in 2010); area administered by Turkish Cypriots:
last held 19 April 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: area under government control: House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - AKEL 31.1%, DISY 30.3%,
DIKO 17.9%, EDEK 8.9%, EURO.KO 5.8%, Greens 2.0%; seats by party -
AKEL 18, DISY 18, DIKO 11, EDEK 4, EURO.KO 4, Greens 1; area
administered by Turkish Cypriots: Assembly of the Republic - percent
of vote by party - UBP 44.1%, CTP 29.3%, DP 10.6%, other 16%; seats
by party - UBP 26, CTP 15, DP 5, other 4

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 17-18 and 24-25 October
2008 (next to be held by October 2010); 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 36, CSSD 29, KDU-CSL 7, Open Democracy Club 6, others 3;
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; note - seats
by party as of December 2008 - ODS 79, CSSD 71, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13,
Greens 4, unaffiliated 7 (former CSSD, ODS, and Green Party members)

Denmark
unicameral People's Assembly or Folketing (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 unless the Folketing is dissolved earlier)
elections: last held 13 November 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 26.2%,
Social Democrats 25.5%, Danish People's Party 13.9%, Socialist
People's Party 13.0%, Conservative People's Party 10.4%, Social
Liberal Party 5.1%, New Alliance 2.8%, Red-Green Unity List 2.2%,
other 0.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 46, Social Democrats 45,
Danish People's Party 25, Socialist People's Party 23, Conservative
People's Party 18, Social Liberal Party 9, New Alliance 5, Red-Green
Alliance 4; note - does not include the two seats from Greenland and
the two 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 8 February 2008 (next to be held 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP
(coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar GUELLAH)
65

Dominica
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members
appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to 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 52.1%, UWP 43.6%,
DFP 3.2%, other 1.1%; 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
2010); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2006 (next to be
held in May 2010)
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

Ecuador
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100
seats; members are elected through a party-list proportional
representation system to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 October 2006 (next to be held 26 April 2009)
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
note: when a Constituent Assembly was convened to draft a new
constitution, the National Congress was placed on indefinite recess
and replaced by a legislative committee; the legislative committee
will continue to function until a new National Assembly is elected
in April 2009

Egypt
bicameral system consists of the Advisory Council or Majlis
al-Shura (Shura Council) that traditionally functions only in a
consultative role but 2007 constitutional amendments could grant the
Council new powers (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) and 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)
elections: Advisory Council - last held June 2007 (next to be held
May-June 2010); People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 7
and 20 November, 1 December 2005; (next to be held November-December
2010)
election results: Advisory Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - NDP 84, Tagammu 1, independents 3; 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)

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 18 January 2009 (next to be held in March 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FMLN 35, ARENA 32, PCN 11, PDC 5, CD 1

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 4 May 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PDGE 89, EC 10, CPDS 1
note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all
executive authority in the president

Eritrea
unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members elected by
direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
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, which 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 4 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party
27.8%, Center Party of Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res
Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%, Estonian Greens 7.1%,
Estonian People's Union 7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Estonian
Reform Party 31, Center Party 29, Union of Pro Patria and Res
Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10, Estonian Greens 6, Estonian
People's Union 6

Ethiopia
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation
(or upper chamber responsible for interpreting the constitution and
federal-regional issues) (108 seats; members are chosen by state
assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's
Representatives (or lower chamber responsible for passing
legislation) (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: some seats still remain vacant as detained opposition MPs did
not take their seats

European Union
two legislative bodies consisting of the 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) and the European Parliament (736 seats; seats allocated
among member states in proportion to population; members elected by
direct universal suffrage for a five-year term)
elections: last held 4-7 June 2009 (next to be held in June 2014)
election results: percent of vote - EPP 35.9%, PES 21.9%, ALDE
10.9%, Greens/EFA 7.2%, UEN 4.8%, GUE/NGL 4.3%, IND/DEM 2.4%, others
12.6%; seats by party - EPP 266, PES 161, ALDE 80, Greens/EFA 53,
UEN 35, GUE/NGL 32, IND/DEM 18, others 93

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
unicameral Legislative Council (10
seats; 2 members are ex officio and 8 are elected by popular vote;
to serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor
elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held in November
2009)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8

Faroe Islands
unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (33 seats;
members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the
seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 19 January 2008 (next to be held no later than
January 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 21%, Social
Democratic Party 19.4%, Republican Party 23.3%, People's Party
20.1%, Center Party 8.4%, Self-Government Party 7.2%, other 0.6%;
seats by party - Republican Party 8, Union Party 7, Social
Democratic Party 6, People's Party 7, Center Party 3, Independence
Party 2
note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held
on 13 November 2007 (next to be held no later than November 2011);
results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican
Party 1, Union 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 in 2011)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - SDL 44.6%, FLP 39.2%, UPP 0.8%, independents 4.9%, other
10.5%; 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 18 March 2007 (next to be held March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 23.1%, Kok 22.3%,
SDP 21.4%, VAS 8.8%, VIHR 8.5%, KD 4.9%, SFP 4.5%, True Finns 4.1%,
other 3.4%; seats by party - Kesk 51, Kok 50, SDP 45, VAS 17, VIHR
15, SFP 9, KD 7, True Finns 5, other 1

France
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or
Senat (343 seats, 321 for metropolitan France and overseas
departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre
and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 3 for
overseas territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members
are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve six-year
terms; one third elected every three years); note - between 2006 and
2011, 15 new seats will be added to the Senate for a total of 348
seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas departments, 2 for
New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for
Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 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 elected 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 21 September 2008 (next to be held in
September 2014); National Assembly - last held 10 and 17 June 2007
(next to be held in June 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - UMP 151, PS 116, UC-UDF 29, CRC 23, RDSE 17, other 7;
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - UMP 46.37%, PS
42.25%, miscellaneous left wing parties 2.47%, PCF 2.28%, NC 2.12%,
PRG 1.65%, miscellaneous right wing parties 1.17%, the Greens 0.45%,
other 1.24%; seats by party - UMP 313, PS 186, NC 22, miscellaneous
left wing parties 15, PCF 15, miscellaneous right wing parties 9,
PRG 7, the Greens 4, other 6

French Polynesia
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee
Territoriale (57 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 January 2008 (first round) and 10 February
2008 (second round) (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - Our Home alliance
45.2%, Union for Democracy alliance 37.2%, Popular Rally (Tahoeraa
Huiraatira) 17.2% other 0.5%; seats by party - Our Home alliance 27,
Union for Democracy alliance 20, Popular Rally 10
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 21 September 2008
(next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - PS 1, independent 1; two seats were
elected to the French National Assembly on 10-17 June 2007 (next to
be held in 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - UMP 2

Gabon
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (102 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 18 January 2009 (next to be held in
January 2015); National Assembly - last held 17 and 24 December 2006
(next to be held in December 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PDG 75, GPR 6, UGDD 3, CLR 2, PGCI 2, UPG 2, ADERE 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 members
elected by popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 January 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
APRC 47, UDP 4, NADD 1, independent 1

Georgia
unicameral Parliament or Parlamenti (also known as Supreme
Council or Umaghlesi Sabcho) (150 seats; 75 members elected by
proportional representation, 75 from single-seat constituencies; to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 21 May 2008 (next to be held in spring 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - United National
Movement 59.2%, National Council-New Rights 17.7%, Christian
Democratic Movement 8.8%, Labor Party 7.4%, Republican Party 3.8%;
seats by party - United National Movement 120, National Council-New
Rights 16, Christian Democratic Movement 6, Labor Party 6,
Republican Party 2

Germany
bicameral legislature consists of the Federal Council or
Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments sit in the Council; each has
three to six votes in proportion to population and are required to
vote as a block)and the Federal Assembly or Bundestag (622 seats;
members elected by popular vote for a four-year term under a system
of personalized proportional representation; a party must win 5% of
the national vote or three direct mandates to gain proportional
representation and caucus recognition)
elections: Bundestag - last held on 27 September 2009 (next to be
held no later than autumn 2013); 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: Bundestag - percent of vote by party - CDU/CSU
33.8%, SPD 23%, FDP 14.6%, Left 11.9%, Greens 10.7%, other 6%; seats
by party - CDU/CSU 239, SPD 146, FDP 93, Left 76, Greens 68

Ghana
unicameral Parliament (230 seats; members are elected by
direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2008 (next to be held 7 December
2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
NDC 114, NPP 107, PNC 2, CPP 1, independent 4, other 2