ctions: president and vice president elected by the Federal
Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year
terms that run concurrently; election last held 10 December 1997 (next
to be held NA December 1998)
election results: Flavio COTTI elected president; percent of Federal
Assembly vote-Flavio COTTI 90%; Ruth DREIFUSS elected vice president;
percent of legislative vote - Ruth DREIFUSS 69%

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or
German-Bundesversammlung, French-Assemblee Federale, Italian-Assemblea
Federale consists of the Council of States or German-Standerat,
French-Conseil des Etats, Italian-Consiglio degli Stati (46 seats;
members are elected two from each canton and one from each half canton
to serve four-year terms) and the National Council or German -
Nationalrat, French-Conseil National, Italian-Consiglio Nazionale (200
seats; members are elected by popular vote on a basis of proportional
representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of States-last held throughout 1997 (each canton
determines when the next election will be held); National Council-last
held 20 October 1995 (next to be held probably 24 October 1999)
election results: Council of States-percent of vote by party-NA; seats
by party - FDP 17, CVP 16, SVP 5, SPS 5, LPS 2, LdU 1; National
Council-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-FDP 45, SPS 54,
CVP 34, SVP 29, Greens 9, LPS 7, FPS 7, LdU 3, EVP 2, SD 3, PdAdS 3,
Ticino League 1, EDU 1, FRAP 1, CSP 1

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court, judges elected for six-year
terms by the Federal Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Radical Free Democratic Party
(Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti
Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero
or PLR) [Franz STEINEGGER, president]; Social Democratic Party
(Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse
or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica
de la Svizra or PSS) [Ursula KOCH, president]; Christian Democratic
People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP,
Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano
Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or
PCD) [Adalbert DURRER, president]; Swiss People's Party
(Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or
UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica da C