Iraq+Politics

__Iraq__ __Politics 9/08__ Iraq is a [|federal] [|parliamentary]  [|representative democratic]  [|republic], the [|Prime Minister of Iraq] is the [|head of government] , and of a [|multi-party system]. [|Executive power] is exercised by the government. [|Legislative power] is vested in both the [|government] and the [|National Assembly of Iraq]. Before the fall of [|Saddam Hussein] in [|2003], the [|Ba'ath Party] officially ruled. The occupation yielded to an [|interim Iraqi constitution], which was replaced by a permanent [|constitution] following approval in a [|referendum] held on [|October 15] , [|2005] .A permanent 275-member Iraqi National Assembly was elected in a [|general election] in December 2005, initiating the formation of a new [|government]. The [|Prime Minister of Iraq] is [|Nouri al-Maliki], who holds most of the executive authority and appoints the [|cabinet]. The current [|President of Iraq] is [|Jalal Talabani], who serves largely as a [|figurehead] , with few powers. The [|vice presidents] are [|Tariq al-Hashimi] and [|Adel Abdul Mehdi], deputy leader of [|SCIRI] , the largest party in the [|Iraqi National Assembly]. The legislative branch is composed of the [|Council of Representatives] and the [|Federation Council]. Northern Iraq  ||  2,642,172  ||  21.7  ||  53  ||  -22  ||
 * ** 15 December 2005 **** [|Council of Representatives of Iraq] election results ** ||
 * ** Alliances and parties  ** || **  Votes  ** || **  %  ** || **  Seats  ** || **  Gain/ loss  ** ||
 * [|United Iraqi Alliance] (Shi’a) Southeast ||  5,021,137  ||  41.2  ||  128  ||  -12  ||
 * [|Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan]
 * [|Iraqi Accord Front] (Sunni) Western Iraq ||  1,840,216  ||  15.1  ||  44  ||  +44  ||
 * [|Iraqi National List] || 977,325  ||  8.0  ||  25  ||  -15  ||
 * [|Iraqi National Dialogue Front] || 499,963  ||  4.1  ||  11  ||  +11  ||
 * [|Kurdistan Islamic Union] || 157,688  ||  1.3  ||  5  ||  +5 1  ||
 * Total (turnout 79.6 %) ||  12,396,631  ||   ||  275  ||   ||