via
chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July
1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Aigars KALVITIS (since 2 December
2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
appointed by the Parliament
elections: president reelected by Parliament for a four-year term;
election last held 20 June 2003 (next to be held by June 2007);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA reelected president;
parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 88 of 94 votes cast

Lebanon
chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November
1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Omar KARAMI (since 21 October
2004); Deputy Prime Minister Issam FARES (since 23 October 2000)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
the president and members of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year
term; election last held 15 October 1998 (next election date NA);
note - on 3 September 2004 the National Assembly voted 96 to 29 to
extend Emile LAHUD's six-year term by three years; the prime
minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in
consultation with the National Assembly; by agreement, the president
is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and
the speaker of the legislature is a Shia Muslim
election results: For 15 October 1998 election: Emile LAHUD elected
president; National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against,
10 abstentions

Lesotho
chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996);
note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November
1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile
head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May
1998)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the
majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister;
the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution,
which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is
a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative
powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to
determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as
regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may
even depose the monarch