st held 31 October 1997 (next to be held NA November
2004); prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and
appointed by the president

election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote
- Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%

note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive
Democrats

Israel:
chief of state: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000)

head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 2 March 2001)

cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the
Knesset

elections: president elected by the Knesset for a five-year term;
election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA July 2005);
prime minister elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 6 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note -
in March 1992, the Knesset approved legislation, effective in 1996,
which allowed for the direct election of the prime minister, but in
2001 the Knesset voted to restore the previous method under which
the legislators will choose the next prime minister after the next
legislative elections in 2003

election results: Moshe KATSAV elected president by the 120-member
Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES,
received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON
elected prime minister; percent of vote - Ariel SHARON 62.5%, Ehud
BARAK 37.4%; note - after the next legislative elections scheduled
for 2003, the prime minister will be elected by the Knesset

Italy:
chief of state: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13 May
1999)

head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the
president of the Council of Ministers) Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 10
June 2001)

cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
approved by the president

elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a
seven-year term; election last held 13 May 1999 (next to be held NA
May 2006); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed
by parliament

election results: Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected president; percent
of electoral college vote - 70%

note: a 12-party government coalition; note - BERLUSCONI's
coalition includes Forza Italian, National Alliance, Christian
Democratic Center, Christian Northern Le