18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Vice
Presidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22 April
2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise the
Presidency Council)
head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May
2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since
20 May 2006)
cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus
Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham
SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
Representatives

Legislative branch:
bicameral Council of Representatives (consisting of 275 members
elected by a closed-list, proportional representation system) and a
Federation Council (membership not established and authorities
undefined)
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
Representatives; the Council of Representatives elected the
Presidency Council and approved the Prime Minister
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - Unified Iraqi Alliance 41%, Kurdistan Alliance 22%, Tawafuq
Coalition 15%, Iraqi National List 8%, Iraqi Front for National
Dialogue 4%, others 10%; number of seats by party - Unified Iraqi
Alliance 128, Kurdistan Alliance 53, Tawafuq Coalition 44, Iraqi
National List 25, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue 11, others 14

Judicial branch:
the Iraq Constitution calls for the Federal Judicial Authority,
comprised of the Higher Juridical Council, Supreme Federal Court,
Federal Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary
Oversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated in
accordance with the law

Political parties and leaders:
Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yunadim KANNA]; Badr Organization
[Hadi al-AMIRI]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali
Bin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa al-Islamiyya Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI];
General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI]; Independent
Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid
al-MUSA]; Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Salih al-MUTLAQ]; Iraqi
Hizballah [Karim Mahmud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats
or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP
[Tariq al-HASHIMI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad