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Belgium Government 1996
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Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Flemish: provincien,
singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg,
Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)
National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)
7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a
constitutional package creating a federal state
civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial
review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
18 years of age, universal and compulsory
King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993)
Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)
Cabinet; the king appoints the ministers who are approved by the legislature
(next to be held by the end of 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (184 total; of which 106 are directly elected; in the 1995
elections, seats will decrease to 71) CVP 20, SP 14, VLD 13, VU 5, AGALEV 5,
VB 5, ROSSEN 1, PS 18, PRL 9, PSC 9, ECOLO 6, FDF 1
Representants); elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by 21
May 1995); results - CVP 16.7%, PS 13.6%, SP 12.0%, VLD 11.9%, PRL 8.2%, PSC
7.8%, VB 6.6%, VU 5.9%, ECOLO 5.1%, AGALEV 4.9%, FDF 2.6%, ROSSEM 3.2%, FN
1.5%; seats - (212 total; in 1995 elections, seats will decrease to 150) CVP
39, PS 35, SP 28, VLD 26, PRL 20, PSC 18, VB 12, VU 10, ECOLO 10, AGALEV 7,
FDF 3, ROSSEM 3, FN 1
Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van Cassatie, French - Cour de
Cassation)
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Political parties and leaders:
Flemish Christian Democrats (CVP - Christian People's Party), Johan van
HECKE, president; Francophone Christian Democrats (PSC - Social Christian
Party), Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist Party (SP), Louis
TOBBACK, president; Francophone Socialist Party (PS), Philippe BUSQUIN,
president; Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president;
Francophone Liberal Reform Party (PRL), Jean GOL, president; Francophone
Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president; Volksunie (VU), Bert
ANCIAUX, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman; ROSSEM, Jean
Pierre VAN ROSSEM; National Front (FN), Daniel FERET, president; AGALEV
(Flemish Greens), no president; ECOLO (Francophone Ecologists), no
president; other minor parties
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Other political or pressure groups:
Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries;
numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers,
middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various
organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia;
various peace groups such as the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear
Weapons and Pax Christi
ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE,
CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G- 9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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Diplomatic representation in US:
Ambassador Andre ADAM (appointed 3 October 1994)
3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
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US diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Alan J. BLINKEN
27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
APO AE 09724; PSC 82, Box 002, Brussels
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the
design was based on the flag of France
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