Politics and government

Bahrain

Form of government: Constitutional monarchy

King: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (2002 – Emir from 1999 to 2002)
Prime Minister: Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa (1970)

Executive branch: The King of Bahrain is the country’s head of state and exercises executive authority with the assistance of the Council of Ministers which is chaired by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the head of government and he is appointed by the King. Members of the Council of Ministers are nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the King. The rule of the country is hereditary in the family of Al-Khalifa and the King may be replaced only upon his resignation or death. Among other powers, the King can amend the constitution, propose legislation and ratify laws.

Legislative branch: The National Assembly is the country’s bicameral parliament. The Consultative Council is the upper house of parliament composed of 40 members appointed by the King for a 4-year term. The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house and consists of 40 members who are elected directly for a 4-year term. In order for a bill to become a law, it must be approved by both chambers and ratified by the King. The Chamber of Deputies may initiate a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister by a majority of two-thirds of its members. If such a majority is achieved, the matter is put to a vote in the entire National Assembly. In case two-thirds of the National Assembly vote against the Prime Minister then the King must decide whether to replace the Prime Minister or the Chamber of Deputies.

Judicial branch: The Higher Judicial Council is chaired by the King and ensures the proper functioning of the court system and the Public Prosecution Office. All judges are appointed by the King. Bahrain’s court system has three types of courts: criminal courts, civil courts and religious (sharia) courts. The Court of Cassation is the country’s highest court and the Constitutional Court ensures the compliance of laws with the constitution. The President and the 6 members of the Constitutional Court are appointed by the King upon nomination by the Higher Judicial Council. Any law may be submitted to the Constitutional Court by the King before it is passed while the High Civil Appeals Court is the highest appellate court.

Parliamentary parties (seats): Assala Association 3, Unity Gathering Assembly (all other members were elected as Independents). The Chamber of Deputies consists of the following political groups: Bahrain 11, Almethaq 6, Assala Association 3, Taqadom 2, Unity Gathering Assembly 1, Independents 17 (political parties are banned - political ‘associations’ are permitted).

Last elections: Simultaneous parliamentary and municipal elections 2018 – Turnout 67% in the first round of parliamentary elections (36.8% in the second round) and 70% in municipal elections (out of 365,467 voters)
Next elections: Parliamentary and municipal elections 2022
Politics and government

Cyprus

Form of government: Presidential republic

President: Nicos Anastasiades (2013)
Executive branch: The President is the leader of the executive branch and head of state. He is elected for a 5-year term and is permitted to serve up to two consecutive terms. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the president.

Legislative branch: Unicameral House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon)with 56 seats since 1963 only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled. The members serve 5-year terms.

Judicial branch: Supreme Court -judges are appointed jointly by the president ; subordinate courts.

Parliamentary parties (seats): DISY (17), AKEL (15), DIKO (9), EDEK (4), DIPA (4), ELAM (3), KOSP (3), Independent (1)*
Next elections: Parliamentary and municipal elections 2022

Most recent House of Representatives elections: 30 May 2021 (next to be held in 2026)

Party/coalitions vote distribution: DISY 27.8%, AKEL 22.3%, DIKO 11.3%, ELAM 6.8%, EDEK-SP 6.7%, DiPa 6.1%, Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation 4.4%, other 14.6%; seats by party/coalition - DISY 17, AKEL 15, DIKO 9, EDEK-SP 4, DIPA 4, ELAM 3 Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation (KOSP) 3;

Next elections: Presidential elections will be held in 2023


Turkish Cypriot political parties


The Turkish Cypriot community holds its own elections. The major Turkish-Cypriot political parties are:

The National Unity Party (Turkish: Ulusal Birlik Partisi, UBP)

The Democratic Party (Turkish: Demokrat Parti, DP)

The Rebirth Party (Turkish: Yeniden Doğuş Partisi, YDP)

The Republican Turkish Party (Turkish: Cumhuriyetçi Türk Partisi, CTP) (18)

The People's Party (Turkish: Halkın Partisi, HP) (3)

Politics and government

Egypt

Form of government: Semi-presidential

President: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (2014)

Prime Minister: Mostafa Madbouli (2018)

Executive branch: The President is the leader of the executive branch and head of state. He is elected for a 6-year term and is permitted to serve up to two consecutive terms. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and approved by the Parliament. As the head of government, the Prime Minister selects his ministers and the government is then approved by the Parliament.

Legislative branch: After the constitutional amendments of 2019, the Parliament will consist of two chambers: the House of Representatives (lower house) comprised of at least 450 members and the Senate (upper house) comprised of at least 180 members. The members of the House of Representatives are elected directly by the citizens while a quarter (112) of the seats are reserved for women. The President appoints 60 members of the Senate and the remaining 120 members are elected directly by the citizens. Elections for both chambers of the Parliament are simultaneous and their members serve 5-year terms.

Judicial branch: Egypt has 3 higher courts. The Supreme Constitutional Court has the authority to decide the constitutionality of laws. The Court of Cassation is the highest court of the common court system and the Supreme Administrative Court is the highest court of the administrative court system. After the constitutional amendments of 2019, the President of Egypt appoints the heads of the judicial authorities, the president of the Supreme Constitutional Court as well as the Prosecutor General.

Parliamentary parties (seats): Free Egyptians Party (65), Nation’s Future Party (53), New Wafd Party (36), Guards of the Homeland Party (18), Republican People’s Party (13), Conference Party (12), El-Nour (11), Conservative Party (6), Democracy (5), Egyptian Social Democratic Party (4), Egyptian National Movement (4), Modern Egypt Party (4), Reform and Development Misruna Party (3), Freedom (3), My country Egypt (3), Progressive Nationalist Unionist Party (2), Arab Democratic Nasserist Party (1), Revolution Party (1), El Sarh Al Masry Al-Hor (1)

Last elections: Presidential elections 2018 – Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was elected with 97.08% while Moussa Mostafa Moussa received 2.92%. Voter turnout was 41.5%.
Next elections: Parliamentary elections in spring 2020
Politics and government

Greece

Form of government: Parliamentary republic

President: Katerina Sakellaropoullou (2020)
Prime Minister: Kyriakos Mitsotakis (2019)

Executive branch: The President is elected by the Hellenic Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term). The most recent elections were held on 22 January 2020 (next to be held by February 2025). The President appoints as Prime Minister the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Hellenic Parliament. The Cabinet appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

Legislative branch: Unicameral Hellenic Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; 280 members in multi-seat constituencies and 12 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by open party-list proportional representation vote. 8 members are elected in single-seat constituencies elected by simple majority vote. The members can serve up to 4 years).

Judicial branch: The Supreme Civil and Criminal Court or Areios Pagos (consists of 56 judges, including the court presidents). The Council of State (supreme administrative court) consists of the president, 7 vice presidents, 42 privy councilors, 48 associate councilors and 50 reporting judges, organized into six 5- and 7-member chambers. The Court of Audit (government audit and enforcement) consists of the president, 5 vice presidents, 20 councilors, and 90 associate and reporting judges.

Parliamentary parties (seats): New Democracy (158), Coalition of the Radical Left (86), Movement for Change (22), Communist Party of Greece (15), Greek Solution (10), MeRA25 (9).

Last elections: : 7 July 2019, percent of vote by party: ND 39.9%, SYRIZA 31.5%, KINAL 8.1%, KKE 5.3%, Greek Solution 3.7%, MeRA25 3.4%, other 8.1%; seats by party - ND 158, SYRIZA 86, Movement for change 22, KKE 15, Greek Solution 10, MeRA25 9; composition - men 244 (81.3%), women 56 (18.7%).
Next elections: Parliamentary elections are in 2023.
Politics and government

Iran

Form of government: Theocratic republic

President: Hassan Rouhani (2017)

Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1989)

Executive branch: The President acts as head of the executive except in matters directly under the authority of the Supreme Leader who is head of state, is appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts and superintends the executive, legislature and judiciary. Members of the Assembly of Experts are clerics who are elected directly by citizens every 8 years. The suitability of a candidate for his first term in the Presidency must be confirmed by the Supreme Leader. Iran’s President is head of the Council of Ministers and is elected directly by the citizens for a 4-year term while he can serve up to two consecutive terms. Ministers are appointed by the President, subject to approval of the Parliament.

Legislative branch: The Islamic Consultative Assembly (or Majles) is the country’s Parliament and it is comprised of 290 members directly elected by citizens for a 4-year term. Five seats are reserved for religious minorities: 2 seats for Armenian Christians, 1 for Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, 1 to Jews and 1 to Zoroastrians. The Majles debates and passes laws while the Council of Guardians may veto a law that does not conform to the Constitution and Islam. The Supreme Leader appoints 6 out of the 12 Islamic jurists that comprise the Council of Guardians while the other 6 are elected by the Majles from a list of jurists nominated by the head of the judiciary.

Judicial branch: The head of the judiciary is appointed by the Supreme Leader for a 5-year term. Iran’s highest court is the Supreme Court while the chief of the Supreme Court as well as the Prosecutor General are both appointed by the head of the judiciary. The High Council of Justice consists of the chief of the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General and 3 other clergy chosen by religious jurists. The High Council of Justice prepares draft bills related to the judiciary and supervises the appointment of judges among other duties. The court system is divided into civil and criminal courts. There are three basic types of courts: public courts, clerical courts and Revolutionary courts. Public courts are organised into civil courts, special civil courts, first instance criminal courts and second instance criminal courts. There is also an Administrative Court of Justice and a Disciplinary Court for Judges.

Parliamentary parties (seats): There is no firm division of members of Parliament into political parties even though political parties do exist. Representatives in the Majles are generally divided into two political forces: the ‘conservatives’ and the ‘reformists’.

Last elections: Parliamentary elections 2020 – Conservatives 76.20%, Reformists 6.89%, Independents 13.10% (11 undecided seats will be contested in a second round of elections). Voter turnout was 42.57%.
Next elections: Second round of Parliamentary elections in September 2020
Politics and government

Iraq

Form of government: Federal parliamentary republic

President: Barham Salih (2018)
Prime Minister: Mustafa Al-Kadhimi (2020)

Executive branch: The President acts as the head of state and is elected by the legislature by a two-thirds vote for a maximum of two 4-year terms. However, if the term of the legislature expires, the President is replaced within 30 days of the next legislative session regardless of whether the President has completed his term or not. The President holds limited powers, such as the power to ratify treaties and laws, as well as the power grant pardons on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Council of Ministers is nominated by the President and approved by a majority vote of the legislature. As the head of government, the Prime Minister holds most executive power and, therefore, directs the general policy of the State and oversees the Ministers. The Council of Ministers is generally responsible for the planning and execution of national policy.

Legislative branch: The Council of Representatives is Iraq’s Parliament and the number of its members changes depending on the population, based on the analogy of one representative for every 100,000 Iraqi citizens. It currently consists of 329 members who were elected for 4-year terms; eight of the seats of Parliament are reserved for women and minorities. A bill may become law if it is introduced by either the President or the Prime Minister or 10 members of Parliament or by special committee of the legislature. The Council of Representatives may force any member of the Council of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, to resign after passing a vote of no confidence and it can even remove the President from power in case he has been convicted for perjury, violation of the constitution or high treason. Furthermore, the Parliament determines the number and selection procedure of judges of the Supreme Court’s judges by a two-thirds vote.

Judicial branch: Judicial power is shared between the Supreme Court, the federal Court of Cassation, the public prosecutor, a judicial oversight committee, and other federal courts. The Higher Judicial Council is responsible for managing and supervising the judicial system, it nominates the Chief Justice, members of the Court of Appeals and other judicial officials for appointment by the Parliament. The Supreme Court is the highest court of the country and, among others, has the power to review and interpret the constitution, settle disputes between judicial bodies and hearing cases involving the President, Prime Minister, or other Ministers.

Parliamentary parties (seats): Saeroun lil-Islah 54, Al-Fatih Coalition 48, Al-Nasr Alliance 42, Kurdistan Democratic Party 25, State of Law Coalition 25, Al-Wataniya 21, Al-Hikma Coalition 19, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan 18, Al-Qarar Al-Iraqi Coalition 14, Al-Anbaar Haweeyatuna 6, Gorran 5, New Generation Motion 4, Irada (Will Movement) 3, Coalition for Democracy and Justice 2, Coalition of Competencies for Change 2, Others 43.

Last elections: Parliamentary elections 2018 – Saeroun lil-Islah 14.38%, Al-Fatih Coalition 13.16%, Al-Nasr Alliance 10.92%, Kurdistan Democratic Party 8.41%, State of Law Coalition 6.98%, Al-Wataniya 6.01%, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan 5.93%, Al-Hikma Coalition 5.27%, Al-Qarar Al-Iraqi Coalition 3.55%, Gorran 2.08%, New Generation Motion 1.65%, Al-Anbaar Haweeyatuna 1.39%, Irada (Will Movement) 1.33%, Coalition for Democracy and Justice 1.19%, Coalition of Competencies for Change 1.09%, Others 14.74%. Voter turnout was 44.52% out of 24,352,253 registered voters.
Next elections: Parliamentary elections 2022
Politics and government

Israel

Form of government: Theocratic republic

President: Reuven Rivlin (2014)

Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu (2009)

Executive branch: The President is the head of state but his role is symbolic and customary and the Prime Minister is the head of the executive and of the government. The Prime Minister is elected for a 4-year term and there are currently no term limits. The composition of government and the Prime Minister himself are approved by the Parliament.

Legislative branch: The Knesset is Israel’s parliament and it exercises legislative authority. It is comprised of 120 members which are elected directly by the citizens for a 4-year term.

Judicial branch: The justice system consists of the Magistrates’ Courts (first instance courts), the District Courts (courts of appeal), and the Supreme Court. Judges are appointed by the Judicial Selection Committee which consists of 9 members: 3 judges from the Supreme Court, 2 cabinet ministers (including the Minister of Justice), 2 members of Knesset and 2 representatives of the Israel Bar Association. The country has religious, labour, administrative, military and other special courts.

Parliamentary parties (seats): Likud (36), Blue and White (33) Joint List (15), Shas (9), Yisrael Beiteinu (7), United Torah Judaism (7), Yemina (6), Labour-Gesher-Meretz (7)

Last elections: Parliamentary elections 2020 – Likud 29.46%, Blue and White 26.59%, Joint List 12.67%, Shas 7.69, United Torah Judaism 5.98%, Labour-Gesher-Meretz 5.83%, Yisrael Beiteinu 5.74%, Yemina 5.24%. Voter turnout was 71.52%.
Next elections: Municipal elections 2023
Politics and government

Jordan

Form of government: Constitutional monarchy

King: Abdullah II of Jordan (1999)
Prime Minister: Omar Razzaz (2018)

Executive branch: The King is head of state and of the executive. Some of his basic competencies include ratification of laws and international treaties, declaring war and peace, calling for elections and dissolving the parliament. The King may only be removed for mental illness. The Prime Minister is appointed by the King and approved by the Parliament while he also nominates the Council of Ministers and acts as an advisor to the King.

Legislative branch: Legislative power is shared between the Parliament and the King. The 5 members of the Senate (upper house) are appointed by the King for a 4-year term. The House of Representatives (lower house) is comprised of 130 members, of which the 115 are elected directly by the citizens for a 4-year term. The remaining 15 seats are reserved for women. For a law to be implemented, it must be initiated by the House of Representatives, approved by both chambers of the Parliament and ratified by the King.

Judicial branch: The judiciary is organized in civil, religious and special courts. The judges of civil and religious courts are appointed by the King. Civil courts deal with civil and criminal cases while religious courts deal with conflict resolution concerning personal matters based on religious law. Special courts are comprised of military and administrative courts. The head of the Senate is the president of the High Tribunal which, among others, is responsible for reviewing the constitution if requested to do so. The president of the highest civil court is the head of the Special Tribunal.

Parliamentary parties: (seats): Islamic Action Front (10), Islamist Wasat Party (7), National Union Party (7), Zamzam (5), National Current (4), Justice and Reform (3), Arab Ba’ath Progressive Party (2), Jordanian United Front (1), National Wafa’a Party (1), Al-Awn (1), Al-Resalah (1), Independent (88)

Last elections: Local elections 2017 – The vast majority of elected officials were independent candidates. From the country’s parties, only the Islamic ones managed to achieve meaningful electoral successes. Voter turnout was 31.7%
Next elections: Parliamentary elections in September 2020

Politics and government

Kuwait

Form of government: Constitutional monarchy

Emir: Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (2006)

Prime Minister: Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah (2019)

Executive branch: The Emir of Kuwait is the country’s head of state and exercises executive authority through his ministers, while the Prime Minister is the head of government and is appointed by the Emir. The rule of the country is hereditary in the family of Al-Sabah but the any new Emir chosen must be confirmed by the National Assembly. Members of the Council of Ministers are nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the Emir. Each minister may be entrusted with leading one or more ministries. The Emir has the final say in defence matters and no law can be passed without his consent.

Legislative branch: Legislative authority is vested in the Emir and the National Assembly. The National Assembly is unicameral body comprised of 65 members, of which 50 are elected for a 4-year term and 15 cabinet ministers who sit as ex officio members. Elected members of the National Assembly may also serve as ministers, in which case the number of ex officio members is reduced accordingly. The National Assembly debates policies and government programs, passes laws and may withdraw its confidence from any member of the Council of Ministers, except the Prime Minister.

Judicial branch: The judiciary is administered by the Supreme Judicial Council, which nominates judges who are then appointed by the Emir. Kuwait’s court system has three levels of courts: Courts of First Instance form the base of the system while Courts of Appeal serve as courts of appeal in the intermediate and final stages of litigation. The Court of Cassation is the state’s highest court and is divided into Commercial, Civil and Criminal Boards. Kuwait also has a Constitutional Court comprised of five judges selected by the Supreme Judicial Council and appointed by the Emir.

Parliamentary parties: Formally, no political parties exist but political blocs are formed within the National Assembly.

Last elections: Municipal elections 2018 – Turnout estimated at about 20% of 519,636 voters.
Next elections: Parliament elections 2020
Politics and government

Lebanon

Form of government: Semi-presidential

President: Michel Aoun (2016)
Prime Minister: Hassan Diab (2019)

Executive branch: Executive power rests on the Council of Ministers, the President is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government. The President is always a Christian Maronite elected for a 6-year term while in order to be re-elected at least 6 years have to pass since the termination of his previous term. The Prime Minister is always a Sunni Muslim and he is appointed by the President and approved by the Parliament. The Prime Minister is also responsible for negotiating with the parliamentary parties in order to form the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the President and approved by the Parliament.

Legislative branch: The Parliament exercises legislative authority and is comprised of 128 members who are elected directly by citizens for a 4-year term. The Speaker (President) of the Parliament is always a Shia Muslim. Half seats of the Parliament (64) are distributed among the Christian religious groups and the other half between the Muslim religious groups and the Druzes.

Judicial branch: The Supreme Judicial Council trains and appoints the country’s judges. The Court of Cassation is Lebanon’s highest court and its head also serves as head of the Supreme Judicial Council. The Constitutional Council is responsible for judging the constitutionality of laws and is comprised of 10 judges, of which 5 are appointed by the Parliament and the other 5 by the Council of Ministers. The country has first-instance, appellate, administrative, religious, labour and other special courts.

Parliamentary parties (seats): Free Patriotic Movement (18), Future Movement (13), Hezbollah (13), Lebanese Forces (12), Amal Movement (10), Progressive Socialist Party (9), Azm Movement (4), Armenian Revolutionary Federation (3), Kataeb Party (3), El-Marada (3), Syrian Social Nationalist Party (3), Arab Liberation Party (2), El-Khazen Bloc (2), Al-Ahbash (1), National Dialogue Party (1), Popular Nasserite Organization (1), Murr Bloc (1), Civil Society Movement (1), Independence Movement (1), Union Party (1), Baath Party (1), Lebanese Democratic Party (1), Ανεξάρτητοι (24)

Last elections: Parliamentary elections 2018 – Hezbollah 16.83%, Future Movement 10.03%, Amal 9.41%, Free Patriotic Movement 8.14%, Lebanese Forces 7.29%, Progressive Socialist Party 5.02%, Civil Society Movement 2.55%, Azm Movement 2.25%, Kataeb Party 1.94%, El-Marada 1.77%, Syrian Social Nationalist Party 1.36%, Arab Liberation Party 1.29%, Al-Ahbash 1.07%, Armenian Revolutionary Federation 1.00%, Other parliamentary parties 5.21%, Independents 16.58%, Other candidates 8.16%. Voter turnout was 49.68%.

Next elections: Parliamentary elections in spring 2022

Politics and government

Libya

Form of government: Semi-presidential (according to the draft Constitution of 2017)

Head of the Presidential Council and Prime Minister of the transitional Government of National Accord: Fayez al-Sarraj (2015)

Executive branch: According to the draft Constitution that was approved in 2017, the President is head of the executive and is based in Tripoli. The President is elected for a 5-year term and has the right to serve up to two consecutive term. The Prime Minister and Ministers are appointed by the President.

Legislative branch: Legislative power is based in Benghazi and is exercises by the House of Representatives (lower house) comprised of 200 members and the Senate (upper house) comprised of 78 members. The members of both chambers of the Parliament are elected directly from Libyan citizens.

Judicial branch: Under the draft Constitution, the independence, integrity and effectiveness of the judiciary shall be the responsibility of the Supreme Judicial Council. The Constitutional Court based in Sabha shall be comprised of 12 members, of which 6 will be appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, 3 by the President of the country and 3 by the legislature. The draft Constitution also mentions a Supreme Court, Court of Cassation, Prosecutor General and Court of Appeals.

Parliamentary parties: In the last parliamentary elections (2014) all elected representatives were independent candidates

Last elections: Local elections 2019 – In March and April local elections were completed in 22 municipalities (mainly in west Libya)

Next elections: Presidential and parliamentary elections possibly in 2020

Politics and government

Oman

Form of government: Absolute monarchy

Sultan: Haitham bin Tariq (2020)

Executive branch: The Sultan acts as both the head of state and of government, while he directly appoints the Council of Ministers. In case the throne is vacant, the Royal Family Council appoints the successor. However, if the Royal Family Council cannot select the successor, the new Sultan shall be the person designated by the previous Sultan in a letter addressed to the Royal Family Council.

Legislative branch: The Council of Oman is the country's parliament and has limited legislative powers since it can only suggest legislation which will be assessed by the Council of Ministers or suggest amendments to bills that have been proposed by the Council of Ministers. All laws are published by the Sultan. The Majlis al-Dawla (Council of State) is the upper chamber of parliament; it consists of 85 members (including its president) who are all appointed by the Sultan for a 4-year term. The Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Council) is the lower chamber of parliament and it consists of 85 representatives who are elected in direct elections by citizens for a 4-year term.

Judicial branch: The Sultan appoints all judges and serves as head of the Supreme Judicial Council which was founded in 2012 to oversee the judiciary and implement the policies that govern it. All the members of the Supreme Judicial Council are appointed by the Sultan. The Supreme Court is the highest court of the country, while the court system also includes First Instance Courts, Courts of Appeal, a Criminal Court, an Administrative Court, military courts and Islamic courts.

Parliamentary parties: Political parties are forbidden by law.

Last elections: Elections for the Μajlis al-Shura in 2019 – Turnout was 49.02% out of 713,335 voters
Next elections: Municipal elections 2020 (date has not been announced)
Politics and government

Palestinian Authority

Form of government: Semi-presidential

President: Mahmoud Abbas (2005)
Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh (2019)

Executive branch: Executive power is shared between the President and the Council of Ministers. According to the constitution, the President is elected in direct elections and can serve up to two consecutive 4-year terms (the last elections were held in 2005). The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and is responsible with forming the government.

Legislative branch: The constitution states that legislative power is exercised by the Legislative Council which consists of 132 elected representatives for a 4-year term (the last elections were held in 2006).

Judicial branch: The judicial branch of power consists of the General Prosecutor, the Bar Association, the Supreme Judicial Council and the Constitutional Court that was founded in 2016. The Supreme Judicial Council supervises the court system and nominates judges. Judges are appointed upon approval of the President of the Palestinian Authority. The court system is comprised of first-instance, second-instance, Islamic and other courts. All three branches of power face functionality issues due to the serious disagreements between Fatah and Hamas and the limited sovereignty of the Palestinian Authority in general.

Parliamentary parties: There are no parliamentary parties currently as the President of the Palestinian Authority dissolved the Parliament in December 2018 following a ruling by the Constitutional Court. The Parliament was dominated by Hamas who held 74 out of 132 seats. Fatah held 45 seats while the rest of the seats were occupied by smaller parties and independent representatives.

Last elections: Parliamentary elections 2006 – Hamas 44.45%, Fatah 41.43%, Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa 4.25%, The Alternative 2.92%, Independent Palestine 2.72%, Third Way 2.41%, Other parties 1.81%. Voter turnout was at 76%
Next elections: Parliamentary elections possibly in 2020
Politics and government

Qatar

Form of government: Absolute monarchy

Emir: Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (2013)

Prime Minister: Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani (2020)

Executive branch: The Emir of Qatar is the country’s head of state and exercises executive authority with the assistance of the Council of Ministers, while the Prime Minister is the head of government and is appointed by the Emir. The rule of the country is hereditary in the family of Al-Thani and the Emir designates his successor among his sons. Members of the Council of Ministers are nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the Emir. The Prime Minister or any other Minister may be entrusted by the Emir with leading one or more ministries.

Legislative branch: The Shoura Council is the country’s legislative authority and consists of 45 members. Direct elections are held for 30 of the representatives for a 4-year term; the remaining 15 members of the Shoura Council are appointed by the Emir and they may serve until they resign or until they are relieved from their posts. Nevertheless, legislative elections have never taken place. The Shoura Council has limited legislative authority since the Emir has the ultimate power of ratifying and promulgating laws.

Judicial branch: The Supreme Council of the judiciary was set up in 1999 to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the 9 members of the judiciary’s Supreme Council are appointed by the Emir. Qatar’s court system has three types of courts: civil courts, criminal courts and islamic (sharia) courts. The court system provides three stages of litigation: courts of First Instance, courts of Appeal and the Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation is the state’s highest court and its judges are nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council and appointed by the Emir. In 2007 Qatar established the Supreme Constitutional Court and the court system also includes administrative and labour courts.

Parliamentary parties: Political parties are banned.

Last elections: Municipal elections 2019 – Turnout 50.1% out of 26,640 voters
Next elections: Municipal elections 2023
Politics and government

Saudi Arabia

Form of government: Monarchy

King: Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2015)

Executive branch: The King has absolute executive authority as he is the head of state and of the government. All ministers are appointed by the King and many of them are members of the royal family. condolences

Legislative branch: The Parliament of Saudi Arabia is predominantly a consultative body that is consists of 150 members, of which 30 are women. All members of Parliament are appointed by the King for a 4-year term and only the King may pass or enforce laws.

Judicial branch: The Saudi court system is based on Islamic law (Sharia) for all civil and criminal cases. Since 2007 the court system is comprised of the Supreme Court, Appelate courts (second instance) and First-instance courts. Firs-instance courts include general, criminal, business, labour and family court. The King is at the top of the judiciary as he acts as the final court of appeal.

Parliamentary parties (seats): There are no political parties

Last elections: Local elections 2015 – The 2015 local elections were the third in the history of the Kingdom (the first were in 2005 and the second in 2011). Voter turnout was about 47% out of 1,408,096 registered voters

Next elections: Unknown

Politics and government

Syria

Form of government: Semi-presidential

President: Bashar al-Assad (2000)
Prime Minister: Imad Khamis (2016)

Executive branch: Based on the constitution of Syria that was approved by referendum in 2012, executive power is exercised by the President and the Prime Minister. The President holds powers that are usually held by presidents in presidential systems while the Prime Minister is head of government. The President is head of state, chief of the armed forces and he is elected for a 7-year term, having the right to serve up to two consecutive terms. The Prime Minister and the Ministers are appointed by the President.

Legislative branch: The People’s Council is the legislative authority of Syria, it consists of 250 members, elected directly by citizens for a 4-year term and at least half of them must come from the workers and farmers. Among other duties, the People’s Council recommends legislation and submits questions to the government, approves laws and the general budge. The People’s Council can also initiate a vote of confidence in the government or Ministers.

Judicial branch: The Supreme Judicial Council supervises the court system and it is headed by the President of the Republic who guarantees the independence of the judiciary. The Court of Cassation is the country’s highest court and it is divided in civil, criminal, military, religious and other courts. The Constitutional Court makes decisions concerning the constitutionality of laws. A law that is approved by referendum cannot be deemed unconstitutional. The Minister of Justice is head of the General Prosecutor’s Office.

Parliamentary parties (seats): Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party (172), Syrian Social Nationalist Party (7), Syrian Communist Party (4), Socialist Unionists (2), Socialist Union Party (2), National Vow Movement (1), Independents (62)

Last elections: Local elections 2018 – Overwhelming dominance of the Ba’ath party. The elections were not competitive at all and voter turnout was 26.5%
Next elections: Parliamentary elections in spring 2020
Politics and government

Turkey

Form of government: Presidential

President: Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2014 – Prime Minster from 2003 to 2014)

Executive branch: Executive power is exercised by the President and the Council of Ministers. The President is head of state and the government. He is elected for a 5-year term and has the right to serve up to 2 terms. The Ministers are appointed by the President.

Legislative branch: The Grand National Assembly is the country’s parliament and legislative authority. It consists of 600 members which are elected directly by citizens for a 5-year term.

Judicial branch: Turkey has 3 higher courts: the Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation and the Council of State. The Constitutional Court is comprised of 15 members, of which 3 are appointed by the Parliament and rest by the President of the Republic. The judges of the Court of Cassation are appointed by the Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors which consists of 13 members, of which 4 are appointed by the President and 9 by the Parliament. The Council of Judges and Pubic Prosecutors appoints 75% of the Council of State’s members while 25% are appointed by the President of the Republic.

Parliamentary parties (seats): AKP (295), CHP (146), HDP (67), MHP (49), iyi Parti (43)

Last elections: Local elections 2019 – AKP 42.55%, CHP 29.81%, iyi Parti 7.76%, ΜHP 7.44%, ΗDP 4.52%, Others 7.92%. Voter turnout was 84,67%
Next elections: Presidential and parliamentary elections in 2023

Politics and government

United Arab Emirates

Form of government: Presidential

President: Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2014 – Prime Minster from 2003 to 2014)

Executive branch: Executive power is exercised by the President and the Council of Ministers. The President is head of state and the government. He is elected for a 5-year term and has the right to serve up to 2 terms. The Ministers are appointed by the President.

Legislative branch: The Grand National Assembly is the country’s parliament and legislative authority. It consists of 600 members which are elected directly by citizens for a 5-year term.

Judicial branch: Turkey has 3 higher courts: the Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation and the Council of State. The Constitutional Court is comprised of 15 members, of which 3 are appointed by the Parliament and rest by the President of the Republic. The judges of the Court of Cassation are appointed by the Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors which consists of 13 members, of which 4 are appointed by the President and 9 by the Parliament. The Council of Judges and Pubic Prosecutors appoints 75% of the Council of State’s members while 25% are appointed by the President of the Republic.

Parliamentary parties (seats): AKP (295), CHP (146), HDP (67), MHP (49), iyi Parti (43)

Last elections: Local elections 2019 – AKP 42.55%, CHP 29.81%, iyi Parti 7.76%, ΜHP 7.44%, ΗDP 4.52%, Others 7.92%. Voter turnout was 84,67%
Next elections: Presidential and parliamentary elections in 2023

Politics and government

Yemen

Form of government: Semi-presidential republic (currently in transition)

President: Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi (2012)

Prime Minister: Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed (2018)

Executive branch: The President of Yemen is head of state while the Prime Minister serves as the head of government and is appointed by the President. According to the constitution, the legislature nominates at least two presidential candidates and the President is elected in direct popular elections. The President may serve up to two 7-year terms. Article 29 of the Constitution stipulates that the Council of Ministers is the highest executive and administrative authority of Yemen. The Prime Minister chooses the members of the Council of Ministers in consultation with the President. The Council of Ministers is responsible for the execution of overall state policies and, among others, prepares drafts of Laws and resolutions to be presented to the legislature or the President. The President also appoints a Vice President to assist him in his duties and to replace him temporarily in case the presidential seat becomes vacant.

Legislative branch: Yemen has a bicameral parliament. The Consultative Council is the upper house of parliament composed of 111 members appointed by the President (no term duration specified in the Constitution). The Consultative Council’s powers are mainly advisory. The House of Representatives is the lower house and consists of 301 members who are elected in direct popular elections for a 6-year term. However, elections have not taken place since 2003. The House of Representatives has the power to enact laws, create national policy, draft the budget and development plans and approve treaties. In addition, the House of Representatives may initiate a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister, any Minister or the whole government by a majority vote.

Judicial branch: The Supreme Judicial Council is appointed by the President, it regulates the country’s court system and it has the ability to control appointments, promotions and removals of judges. The court system is divided into lower courts and the Supreme Court which has the power of constitutional review, to decide conflicts between judicial bodies, to hear electoral challenges, and to act as a court of civil and criminal appeals concerning personal, disciplinary and administrative questions. The Supreme Court may also hear cases against the President, Vice President and members of the Council of Ministers.

Parliamentary parties (seats): General People’s Congress (238), Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah - 46), Yemeni Socialist Party (8), Nasserite Unionist Popular Organization (3), Arab Baath Socialist Party (2), Independents (4)

Last elections: Presidential elections 2012 – Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi was the only candidate. Turnout stood at 64.78% out of 10,243,364 voters.
Next elections: Unknown