nch:
chief of state: President Vaclav HAVEL (since 2 February 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Milos ZEMAN (since 17 July 1998);
Deputy Prime Ministers Vladimir SPIDLA (since 17 July 1998), Pavel
RYCHETSKY since 17 July 1998), Egon LANSKY (since 17 July 1998),
Pavel MERTLIK (since 17 July 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
election last held 20 January 1998 (next to be held NA January
2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaclav HAVEL reelected president; Vaclav HAVEL
received 47 of 81 votes in the Senate and 99 out of 200 votes in the
Chamber of Deputies (second round of voting)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of
the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve staggered two-, four-, and six-year terms) and the Chamber
of Deputies or Snemovna Poslancu (200 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 13-14 and 20-21 November 1998 (next to
be held NA November 2000--to replace/reelect 20 senators serving
two-year terms); Chamber of Deputies--last held 19-20 June 1998
(early elections to be held NA June 2000)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--governing coalition (CSSD 23), opposition (ODS 26, KDU-CSL 16,
KCSM 4, ODA 7, US 4, DEU 1); Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote by
party--NA; seats by party--governing coalition (CSSD 74), opposition
(ODS 63, KDU-CSL 20, US 19, KCSM 24)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman and deputy chairmen are
appointed by the president for life; Constitutional Court, chairman
and deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for life

Political parties and leaders: Civic Democratic Party or ODS
KROUPA, chairman]; Christian Democratic Union-Czech People's Party

Political pressure groups and leaders: Czech-Moravian Chamber of
Trade Unions; Civic Movement

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS,
CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UPU