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ADDITIONAL MATERIALS.rtf
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2. Political system of Austria

Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy consisting of nine federal states and is one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality and one of the few countries that includes the concept of everlasting neutrality in their constitution. Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 and joined the European Union in 1995.

The Parliament of Austria is located in Vienna, the nation's largest city and capital. Austria became a federal, parliamentarian, democratic republic through the Federal Constitution of 1920. It was reintroduced in 1945 to the nine states of the Federal Republic. The head of state is the Federal President, who is directly elected. The chairman of the Federal Government is the Federal Chancellor, who is appointed by the president. The government can be removed from office by either a presidential decree or by vote of no confidence in the lower chamber of parliament, the Nationalrat.

The Parliament of Austria consists of two chambers. The composition of the Nationalrat is determined every four years by a free general election in which every citizen is allowed to vote to fill its 183 seats. A "Four Percent Hurdle" prevents a large splintering of the political landscape in the Nationalrat by awarding seats only to political parties that have obtained at least a four percent threshold of the general vote, or alternatively, have won a direct seat in one of the 43 regional election districts. The Nationalrat is the dominant chamber in the formation of legislation in Austria. However, the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat has a limited right of veto (the Nationalrat can — in most cases — pass the respective bill a second time bypassing the Bundesrat altogether). A convention was convened in June 30, 2003 to decide upon suggestions to reform the constitution, but has failed to produce a proposal that would receive the two thirds of votes in the Nationalrat necessary for constitutional amendments and/or reform. However, some important parts of the final report were generally agreed upon and are still expected to be implemented.

3. Political system of Saudi Arabia.

The central institution of the Saudi Arabian government is the Saudi monarchy. It is an absolute monarchy. The Basic Law of Government adopted in 1922 declared that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the sons and grandsons of the first king, Abd Al Aziz Al Saud. It is also claimed that the Qur’an (Koran) is the constitution of the country, which is governed on the basis of Islamic lawSharia (Shariat).

There are no recognized political parties or national elections, except the local elections which were held in 2005 for the first time in the history of the country. The king’s powers are theoretically limited within the bounds of Sharia and other Saudi traditions. He also must retain a consensus of the Saudi royal family, religious leaders – ulema, and other important elements in Saudi society. The leading members of the royal family choose the king among themselves with the subsequent approval of the ulema.

Saudi kings have gradually developed a central government. Since 1953, the Council of Ministers, appointed by the king, has advised on the formulation of general policy and directed the activities of the country. This council consists of a prime minister, the first prime minister and twenty ministers, mainly appointed from the members of the royal family.

Legislation is by resolution of the Council of Ministers, ratified by royal decree, and must be compatible with the Sharia. A 150-member Consultative Assembly, appointed by the king, has limited legislative rights. Justice is administered according to the Sharia by a system of religious courts whose judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, composed of 12 senior jurists. Independence of the judiciary is protected by law. The kings act as the highest court of appeal and have the power to pardon. Access to high officials and the right to petition them directly are well-established traditions.

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