ince 13 May 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the
president of the Council of Ministers) Massimo D'ALEMA (since 21
October 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
approved by the president
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a
seven-year term; election last held 13 May 1999 (next to be held NA
May 2006); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by
parliament
election results: Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected president; percent of
electoral college vote - 70%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the
Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats elected by popular vote
of which 232 are directly elected and 83 are elected by regional
proportional representation plus, in addition, there are a small
number of senators-for-life including former presidents of the
republic; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies
or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 475 are directly elected, 155 by
regional proportional representation; members serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 21 April 1996 (next scheduled for NA
April 2001); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 1996 (next
scheduled for NA April 2001)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League-Padania
27, Communist Renewal 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-Tricolored
Flames 1, Panella Reformers 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - Olive Tree 284, Freedom Alliance 246,
Northern League 59, Communist Renewal 35, Southern Tyrol People's
Party 3, Autonomous List 2, other 1

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale,
composed of 15 judges (one-third appointed by the president, one-third
elected by Parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and
administrative supreme courts)

Political parties and leaders: Bonino List or LB (used to be the
Autonomous List, a group of minor parties) ; Center-Left
Coalition (used to be the Olive Tree) - Democrats,
DS, FdV, PdCI, PPI, RI, UDEUR; Christian Democratic Center or CCD
; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Rocco
BUTTIGLIONE]; Communist Renewal or RC ; Democratic
Party ; Democratic Party of the Left or DS [Walter
VELTRONI]; Forza Italia or FI ; Freedom Alliance (a
center-r