y a 367-member electoral
assembly that convened following Parliament's failure in August to
elect then-President MERI's successor; on the second ballot of voting,
RUUTEL received 188 votes to Parliament Speaker Toomas SAVI's 155;
the remaining 24 ballots were either left blank or invalid elections:
president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if he or she does
not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in
the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus
members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the
two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held
21 September 2001 (next to be held in the fall of 2006); prime minister
nominated by the president and approved by Parliament

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) election
results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Center Party 28,
Union of Pro Patria (Fatherland League) 18, Reform Party 18, Moderates 17,
Country People's Party (Agrarians) 7, Coalition Party 7, UPPE 6 elections:
last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)

Judicial branch: National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament
for life)

Political parties and leaders: Coalition Party [Mart SIIMANN, chairman];
Estonian Center Party or K [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman]; Estonian Christian
People's Party [Aldo VINKEL]; Estonian Democratic Party [Jean LAAS];
Estonian Independence Party [Vello LEITO]; Estonian People's Union
[Villu REILJAN]; note - includes Estonian Country People's Party and
two small parties; Estonian Reform Party [Siim KALLAS]; Estonian Social
Democratic Labor Party [Tiit TOOMSALU]; Estonian United People's Party or
UPPE [Viktor ANDREJEV]; Estonian Unity Party [Igor PISSAREV]; Moderates
[Andres TARAND]; New Estonia Party [Ulo NUGIS]; Pro Patria Union [Mart
LAAR, chairman]; Republican Party [Kristian-Olari LEPING]; Res Publica
[Rein TAAGEPERA]; Russian Baltic Party [Sergei IVANOV]; Russian Party
in Estonia [Nikolai MASPANOV] note: Country People's Party, formerly
under Estonian Rural People's Union, has probably dissolved

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent),
IT