Central African Republic

On 15 March 2003, General François Bozizé overthrew the elected President, Ange-Félix Patassé, and declared himself President. Shortly after taking power, he dissolved the National Assembly and the Government and suspended the Constitution. The National Assembly was replaced by a Transitional National Council, an advisory and legislative body established in April 2003. Composed of representatives from all political, religious, professional and social backgrounds, the Council has a mandate to draft a new Constitution and prepare a conference for a national dialogue and elections. In June 2003, President Bozizé announced a return to constitutional order for January 2005, also stating that he wished to organise a national dialogue, a constitutional referendum in 2004, presidential elections in the third quarter of 2004 and municipal and legislative elections in the fourth quarter of that same year.

Croatia

On 2 April 2003, Parliament approved amendments to the Electoral Law to give ethnic minorities more deputies after the next election. Under the revised law, ethnic minorities (mostly Serbs, Italians and Hungarians) will be entitled to eight deputies in parliament, up from the current five. Serbs, the largest minority, will have three representatives, while Italians and Hungarians will each have one, and all other minorities combined will be able to elect three deputies. The next general election must be held by April 2004, and Parliament must adopt any electoral changes at least one year before that date.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 5 April 2003, President Joseph Kabila promulgated the new Transitional Constitution endorsing a peace deal to end more than four years of war. The peace accord was finalised on 2 April 2003 in Sun City, South Africa and accepted by all parties to the conflict. The new Constitution provides for a transitional government, which includes rebel groups and opposition parties, to rule for up to 2-1/2 years, after which the country's first democratic elections in four decades are to be held. Mr. Kabila will preside over this transitional government, and four vice-presidents will be chosen from among the main rebel parties, the civilian opposition and the current government.

Kyrgyzstan

On 2 February 2003, a referendum on the amended Constitution was held. Voters were asked to say "yes" or "no" to the package of changes, which included turning the current bicameral parliament into a unicameral body and also voting whether they wanted President Askar Akaev to stay on until December 2005 (the end of his constitutional term). Official results showed that 76.61 per cent of the electors had voted in favour of the proposed amendments, while 10.2 per cent voted against, and that 78.74 per cent had approved the proposal that President Akaev remain in office until his term expired in order to preside over the implementation of the changes. The newly amended Constitution came into force on 18 February 2003, after President Akaev had signed the relevant decree.

Liechtenstein

Constitutional reforms, including the granting of extensive new powers to Prince Hans Adam II, were approved in a referendum held on 16 March 2003. The vote followed months of intense campaigning both for and against the proposals, which were first suggested by the Prince some ten years earlier. The changes to the 1921 Constitution were approved by 64.3 per cent of voters, with a high turnout of 87.7 per cent of the electorate of 16,500. The monarch is now empowered to dismiss the government and appoint interim Prime Ministers, and is not subject to the authority of the Constitutional Court. He has also been given powers to appoint judges. On the other hand, the changes to the Constitution take away the Prince's right to rule by emergency decree for an unlimited period and to nominate government officials. The amendments also give the people the right to call a referendum to end the monarchy.

Lithuania

On 24 December 2002, the Constitutional Court ruled that parliamentary deputies could not serve simultaneously as members of local councils. The justices stated that the President, MPs, Cabinet members, judges, and other individuals to whom the Constitution assigned special status could not be local councilmen.
On 23 January 2003, Parliament amended Article 47 of the Constitution to grant foreign legal entities and natural persons the right to acquire farmland in the country. The law came into force one month after its approval by a vote of 116 to four with four abstentions, but the land sales will effectively become possible only in 2011 -- seven years after Lithuania officially joins the EU -- since the country negotiated a transition period in its membership talks.
On 25 February 2003, Parliament voted overwhelmingly to amend the Referendum Law by easing the requirements for successful passage of such initiatives. It retained the condition that more than half of all eligible voters must participate in the referendum for it to be validated, but lowered the number of favourable votes needed for passage from the previous one-third of all eligible voters to a simple majority of the votes cast. The amendments also allow voting to take place over two days, lengthen the term for absentee voting, and widen the list of those eligible to vote from home.

Philippines

On 5 February 2003, the Congress ratified a new electoral law giving overseas Filipinos voting rights. For the first time, an estimated 7.4 million Filipinos living abroad will be allowed to vote in national elections. The first test of the law's impact on the country's political future will come in the May 2004 presidential and congressional elections. Under the new law, overseas Filipinos can cast their votes in embassies and consulates or, in some areas, mail their votes.

Qatar

On 27 April 2003, Qatari voters approved a referendum ushering in a new Constitution that replaces the 1972 "Provisional Political Order". The new text provides for a Parliament composed of 45 members, 30 of whom will be elected in polls where women may stand and vote. The remaining 15 will be appointed by the Emir, who will also appoint the Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers. The proposed legislature will be able to question ministers and subject them to votes of no-confidence, but the Emir retains the power to dismiss Parliament. The latter will have a four-year term and the power to legislate and vote on the budget. Elections to the proposed legislature are expected to take place sometime in 2004. The 150-article Constitution also envisages the establishment of a separate judiciary.

Rwanda

The Rwandans voted on 26 May 2003 on a referendum concerning a draft new Constitution which focuses on efforts to combat the "ideology of genocide" and ethnic divisions and which is supposed to put an end to a "transition" of nearly a decade, following the 1994 massacres which left one million dead among the Tutsis (minority) and moderate Hutus. The draft new Constitution polled 93 per cent of the votes, with a turnout of 87 per cent.
The new text authorised multipartyism but regulates the activities of the political parties, which must belong to a Concertation Forum responsible for promoting consensus. Moreover, parties may not identify with any race, ethnic group, tribe, clan, region or religion, or be based on gender distinctions, under pain of sanctions that can go as far as dissolution, handed down by a High Court of the Republic. The Constitution also provides that the President of the Republic shall be elected by direct universal suffrage for a seven-year term, and is only eligible once for re-election. It further stipulates that the majority of members of the National Assembly shall be elected by universal suffrage, with the remainder to be elected by the District and Municipal Councils, by Kigali City Council (24 women), by the National Youth Council (two members) and by the Federation of Associations of the Handicapped (one member). The Constitution also sets up a 26-member Senate, most of whose members are appointed for eight-year terms. A special effort was made in terms of the representation of women, by setting aside at least 30% of the posts for women in decision-making bodies. Finally, the Constitution officially replaces the Rwandan Patriotic Army (APR), a product of the former Tutsi rebellion, by the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF).

Switzerland

On 13 December 2002, Parliament adopted a new law on its organisational structure, which will go into force on 1 December 2003 and which introduces the following changes: Motions concerning points that fall within the purview of the Federal Council are henceforth authorised. If such motions are forwarded by both Councils, the Federal Council may itself take the required measure; if it refuses, it is obliged to present to Parliament the draft bill amending the distribution of powers, so that Parliament is competent to take the required step. Motions may no longer be turned into postulates (postulats) but may be amended by the second Council. These changes are intended to make this instrument more targeted and more effective. Decisions to follow up an initiative and draft a bill shall henceforth be subject to the approval of the two committees of each Council and not those of a single Council as before (except for cantonal initiatives, which required the approval of both Councils). Before issuing decrees, the Federal Council shall consult the competent commissions of the Federal Assembly if they so request. In addition, the current right of consultation in the foreign policy sphere has been maintained and broadened somewhat. The Federal Assembly no longer merely takes note of the programme of the legislature, but voices its views by means of a simple federal decree on the goals of the programme. It may also opt for the federal decree, a more binding and more finely shaded instrument, for other key plans or major reports. The Federal Assembly, its members and its bodies may access the information they need for the exercise of their duties but are bound by secrecy requirements. Whereas MPs, legislative committees and even oversight commissions are subject to varying restrictions in terms of the right to information, this right is unlimited for delegations of oversight commissions. The Federal Tribunal shall defend its own rights before Parliament, without the mediation of the Federal Council.