October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief
of state and head of government

head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
(since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of
state and head of government

cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over
by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a
Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on
religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the
monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of
Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the
succession to the throne if the need arises

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Bulgaria:
chief of state: President Petar STOYANOV (since 22
January 1997); Vice President Todor KAVALDZHIEV (since 22 January
1997)

head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime
Minister) Ivan KOSTOV (since 19 May 1997); Deputy Prime Minister
Petur ZHOTEV (since 21 December 1999)

cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly

elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 27 October
and 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); chairman of the
Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president;
deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister

election results: Petar STOYANOV elected president; percent of vote
- Petar STOYANOV 59.73%

Burkina Faso:
chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15
October 1987)

head of government: Prime Minister Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6
November 2000)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
the president may serve unlimited terms; election last held 15
November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by
the president with the consent of the legislature

election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 87.5%
percent of the vote, 56% of voter turnout

note: President COMPAORE faces an increasingly well-coordinated
opposition; recent charges against a former member of his
Presidential Guard in the 1998 assassination of a newspaper editor
signify an attempt