iversal (16 years of age, if employed)

Executive branch: chief of state: President Milan KUCAN (since 22
April 1990)

head of government: Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 15 October
2000);

cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
elected by the National Assembly

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 24 November 1997 (next to be held NA 2002);
following National Assembly elections, the leader of the majority
party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually nominated to
become prime minister by the president and elected by the National
Assembly; election last held 15 October 2000 (next to be held NA
October 2004)

election results: Milan KUCAN elected president; percent of vote -
Milan KUCAN 56.3%, Janez PODOBNIK 18%; Janez DRNOVSEK elected prime
minister; percent of National Assembly vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Drzavni Zbor (90
seats, 40 are directly elected and 50 are selected on a proportional
basis; note - the numbers of directly elected and proportionally
elected seats varies with each election; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: National Assembly - last held 15 October 2000 (next to
be held NA October 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - LDS 36%, SDS 16%, ZLSD
12%, SLS/SKD 10%, NSI 9%, SMS 4%, SNS 4%, DeSUS 5%, other 4%; seats
by party - LDS 34, SDS 14, ZLDS 11, SLS/SKD 9, NSI 8, SMS 4, SNS 4,
DeSUS 4, other 2

note: the National Council or Drzavni Svet is an advisory body with
limited legislative powers; it may propose laws and ask to review
any National Assembly decisions; in the election of NA November
1997, 40 members were elected to represent local, professional, and
socioeconomic interests (next election to be held in the fall of
2002)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National
Assembly on the recommendation of the Judicial Council);
Constitutional Court (judges elected for nine-year terms by the
National Assembly and nominated by the president)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Retired (Persons)
of Slovenia or DeSUS [Janko KUSAR]; Liberal Democratic or LDS [Janez
DRNOVSEK, chairman]; New Slovenia or NSI [Andrej BAJUK, chairman];
Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC, chairman]; Slovene
People's Party or SLS (Slovenian People's Party or SLS and Slovenian
Christian