:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper
chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve
five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or lower
chamber (548 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote
from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)
note: irregularities and violence at some polling stations
necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies;
voting postponed in Somali regional state because of severe drought
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - OPDO 177,
ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27, EPRDF 19, SPDO 18, GNDM 15, KSPDO 10,
ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6, BMPDO 5, KAT 4, other regional
political groupings 22, independents 8; note - 43 seats unconfirmed

Judicial branch:
Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of the
Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and
appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other
federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's
Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal
Judicial Administrative Council)

Political parties and leaders:
Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [leader NA]; Amhara National
Democratic Movement or ANDM [ADDISU Legesse]; Bench Madji People's
Democratic Organization or BMPDO [leader NA]; Benishangul Gumuz
People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [leader NA]; Ethiopian
People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an
alliance of ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and TPLF); Gedeyo People's
Revolutionary Democratic Front or GPRDF [leader NA]; Gurage
Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM [leader NA]; Kafa Shaka
People's Democratic Organization or KSPDO [leader NA]; Kembata,
Alabaa and Tembaro or KAT [leader NA]; Oromo People's Democratic
Organization or OPDO [JUNEDI Sado]; Sidamo People's Democratic
Organization or SPDO [leader NA]; South Omo People's Democratic
Movement or SOPDM [leader NA]; Tigrayan People's Liberation Front or
TPLF [MELES Zenawi]; Walayta, Gamo, Gofa, Dawro, and Konta People's
Democratic Organization or WGGPDO [leader NA]; dozens of small
parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF [leader NA];
Council of Alternative Forces for Peace