ief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April
1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sauli NIINISTO (since 13 April 1995)
cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the
president, responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 6 February 2000 (next to be held NA February 2006);
prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed from the majority
party by the president after parliamentary elections
election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote -
Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esco AHO (Kesk) 48.4%
note: government coalition - SFP, Kok, Leftist Alliance (People's
Democratic Union and Democratic Alternative), SFP, and Green Union

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats;
members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - SDP 22.9%, Kesk 22.5%,
Kok 21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.9%, SFP 5.1%, Green Union
7.2%, SKL 4.2%; seats by party - SDP 51, Kesk 48, Kok 46, Leftist
Alliance (Communist) 20, SFP 11, Green Union 11, SKL 10, other 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus, judges appointed by
the president

Political parties and leaders: Center Party or Kesk ;
Ecological Party or EPV ; Finnish Christian Union or
SKL ; Green Union ; Leftist Alliance
(Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic
Alternative ; Liberal People's Party or LKP [Pekka
RYTILA]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Sauli
NIINISTO]; Rural Party or SMP ; Social Democratic
Party or SDP ; Swedish People's Party or SFP [(Johan)
Ole NORRBACK]; Young Finns

Political pressure groups and leaders: Communist Workers Party [Timo
LAHDENMAKI]; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Communist
Party-Unity ; Finnish Pensioners Party

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group,
BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-
9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL,
UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP,