s, the leader of the majority party or leader of a
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch

note: government coalition - PvdA, VVD, and D'66; there is also a
Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and
councilors consulted by the executive on legislative and
administrative policy

Legislative branch: 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 1999 (next to be held
NA May 2003); Second Chamber - last held 6 May 1998 (next to be held
May 2002)

election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - CDA 20, VVD 19, PvdA 15, D'66 4, other 17; Second
Chamber - percent of vote by party - PvdA 30.0%, VVD 25.3%, CDA
19.3%, D'66 9.3%, other 16.1%; seats by party - PvdA 45, VVD 38, CDA
29, D'66 14, other 24

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated
for life by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA
[Jaap de Hoop SCHEFFER]; Democrats '66 or D'66 [Tom DE GRAAF]; Labor
Party or PvdA [Wim KOK]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(Liberal) or VVD [Hans F. DIJKSTAL]; a host of minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: Federation of Netherlands
Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade
unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and
Protestant Employers Associations; Interchurch Peace Council or IKV;
large multinational firms; the nondenominational Federation of
Netherlands Enterprises

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB,
EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Joris M. VOS

chancery: 4200 Li