dvice of the prime
minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the
House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote
to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 14 March 1997 (next to be held by March 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
FNM 35, PLP 5

Bahrain:
unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975
and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet; appointed
Advisory Council established 16 December 1992; the National Action
Charter created a bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000;
approved by referendum of 14 February 2001

Bangladesh:
unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad (330
seats; 300 elected by popular vote from single territorial
constituencies, 30 seats reserved for women; members serve five-year
terms)

elections: last held 12 June 1996 (next to be held before 13
October 2001)

election results: percent of vote by party - AL 33.87%, BNP 30.87%;
seats by party - AL 178, BNP 113, JP 33, JI 3, other 3; note - the
elections of 12 June 1996 brought to power an Awami League
government for the first time in twenty-one years; held under a
neutral, caretaker administration, the elections were characterized
by a peaceful, orderly process and massive voter turnout, ending a
bitter two-year impasse between the former BNP and opposition
parties that had paralyzed National Parliament and led to widespread
street violence

Barbados:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member
body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly
(28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve
five-year terms)

elections: House of Assembly - last held 20 January 1999 (next to
be held by January 2004)

election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - BLP 26, DLP 2

Belarus:
bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of
the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats) and the
Chamber of Representatives or Palata Pretsaviteley (110 seats)

elections: last held October 2000 (next to be held NA)

election results: party affiliation data unavailable; under present
political conditions party designations are meaningless

Belgium:
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in
Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are