ope (OSCE)
obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)
note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav HAVEL stepped down
from office on 2 February 2003 having served exactly 10 years;
parliament finally elected a successor on 28 February 2003 after two
inconclusive elections in January 2003
head of government: Prime Minister Stanislav GROSS (since 26 July
2004), Deputy Prime Ministers Zdenek SKROMACH (since 4 August 2004),
Martin JAHN (since 4 August 2004), Pavel NEMEC (since 4 August
2004); Milan SIMONOVSKY (since 4 August 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February
2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round;
combined votes of both chambers of parliament)
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
last successful election held 28 February 2003 (after earlier
elections held 15 and 24 January 2003 were inconclusive; next
election to be held NA January 2008); prime minister appointed by
the president

Legislative branch:
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)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - ODS 26, KDU-CSL 15, Open Democracy 15, CSSD 9, Caucus
"Independent" 5, US-DEU 1, European Democrats 1, Greens 1, KSCM 1,
independents 7; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
CSSD 30.2%, ODS 24.5%, KSCM 18.5%, KDU-CSL & US-DEU coalition 14.3%,
other minor 12.5%; seats by party - CSSD 70, ODS 58, KSCM 41,
KDU-CSL 21, US-DEU 10
elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 5-6 November and 12-13
November 2004 (next to be held NA November 2006); Chamber of
Deputies - last held 14-15 June 2002 (next to be held by NA June
2006)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen
are appointed by the president for a 10-year term

Political parties and leaders:
Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or
KDU-C