German people 3 October 1990

Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Roman HERZOG (since 1 July 1994) was
elected by the Federal Convention including members of the Bundestag
and an equal number of members elected by the Land Parliaments
head of government: Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October
1982) was elected by an absolute majority of the Bundestag
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president upon the proposal of
the chancellor

Legislative branch: bicameral chamber (no official name for the
two chambers as a whole)
Federal Assembly (Bundestag): election last held 16 October 1994
(next to be held by NA 1998); results - CDU 34.2%, SPD 36.4%,
Alliance 90/Greens 7.3%, CSU 7.3%, FDP 6.9%, PDS 4.4%, Republicans
1.9%; seats - (usually 656 total, but 672 for the 1994 term) CDU
244, SPD 252, Alliance 90/Greens 49, CSU 50, FDP 47, PDS 30; elected
by direct popular vote under a system combining direct and
proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national
vote or three direct mandates to gain representation
Federal Council (Bundesrat): State governments are directly
represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on size and
are required to vote as a block; current composition: votes - (68
total) SPD-led states 41, CDU-led states 27

Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court
(Bundesverfassungsgericht), half the judges are elected by the
Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union (CDU),
Helmut KOHL, chairman; Christian Social Union (CSU), Theo WAIGEL,
chairman; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Wolfgang GERHARDT, chairman;
Social Democratic Party (SPD), Oskar LA FONTAINE, chairman; Alliance
'90/Greens, Krista SAGER, Juergen TRITTIN, cochairpersons; Party of
Democratic Socialism (PDS), Lothar BISKY, chairman; Republikaner,
Rolf SCHLIERER, chairman; National Democratic Party (NPD),
Ellen-Doris SCHERER; Communist Party (DKP), Rolf PRIEMER and Heinz
STEHR, cochairpersons

Other political or pressure groups: expellee, refugee, and
veterans groups

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer),
AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB