On October 25 and December 20, presidential and legislative elections were held for the first time since an unelected and illegal civilian regime headed by de facto president Andry Rajoelina assumed power in a 2009 coup with military support. By year's end, official election results had not yet been certified by the Special Electoral Court (CES) due to numerous legal challenges. The election was the culmination of a transitional process brokered by mediators acting on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which led to the 2011 signing by political leaders of a "Roadmap...

The Republic of Macedonia is a parliamentary democracy. A popularly elected president is head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces. A unicameral parliament exercises legislative authority. The Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stated that the parliamentary elections in 2011 were competitive, transparent, and well administered. Security forces reported to civilian authorities. Security forces did not commit widespread or systemic human rights abuses. The most critical human rights problem was the government's failure to fully respect the rule of law,...

The Republic of Lithuania is a constitutional, multi-party, parliamentary democracy. Legislative authority resides in a unicameral parliament (Seimas). Observers evaluated the October 2012 parliamentary elections as generally free and fair. The elections led to the formation of a center-left government. Authorities maintained effective control over security forces. Security forces did not commit human rights abuses. Some prisons continued to be overcrowded and in poor condition, and lengthy pretrial detention remained a problem. There were open manifestations of intolerance, including...

Libya is a parliamentary democracy with a temporary Constitutional Declaration that allows for the exercise of a full range of political, civil, and judicial rights. Following the fall of Qadhafi's regime in 2011, the National Transitional Council (NTC) oversaw a free and fair election in July 2012 and handed power to an elected parliament, the General National Congress (GNC), in August 2012. The General National Congress appointed a prime minister in November 2012 to head an interim government. These steps led to the formal establishment of the new "State of Libya" on January 9. The interim...

Liberia is a constitutional republic with a bicameral National Assembly. In November 2011 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party won a second term in multi-party presidential elections, which domestic and international observers considered generally free and fair. Authorities generally maintained effective control over the security forces. Security forces, however, committed human rights abuses. The most serious human rights abuses were those tied to a lack of justice: judicial inefficiency and corruption; lengthy pretrial detention; denial of due process; and harsh prison conditions....

Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy with a democratic parliamentary government. Under the constitution, the king is head of state but does not actively participate in political activities. The prime minister is head of government and has executive authority. In June 2012, the first peaceful transfer of power from one government to another took place, as Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, leader of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) party, took the oath of office. The May 2012 parliamentary elections gave no political party a majority. The ruling Democratic Congress (DC) party won a...

Lebanon is a parliamentary republic, with a Maronite Christian president, Shia speaker of the chamber of deputies (Parliament), and Sunni prime minister based on the 1943 National Pact. Parliamentary elections in 2009 were considered peaceful, free, and fair. Government security forces reported to civilian authorities, although the terrorist group Hizballah and Palestinian security and militia forces were outside the direction or control of government officials. Security forces committed human rights abuses. The most significant human rights abuses during the year were torture and abuse by...

The Republic of Latvia is a multi-party parliamentary democracy. Legislative authority is vested in a unicameral parliament (Saeima). Elections in September 2011 for the 100-seat parliament were free and fair. Authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. There were some reports that security forces committed human rights abuses, particularly that individual police personnel abused persons in custody. The most significant human rights problem during the year was corruption. Other notable problems included poor conditions in detention and prison facilities, violence...

The Lao People's Democratic Republic is an authoritarian state ruled by the only party that the constitution legitimizes, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The most recent National Assembly election, held in 2011, was not considered free and fair. Authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. Some members of the security forces were involved in human rights abuses. The most significant human rights problems continued to be that the government denied citizens the right to change their government, conditions in some prisons were harsh, and corruption in the...

The Kyrgyz Republic has a parliamentary form of government intended to limit presidential power and enhance the role of parliament and the prime minister. Voters elected the parliament in 2010 and the president a year later. In the 2011 presidential election, Almazbek Atambayev, then serving as prime minister, received 63 percent of the vote. Independent observers considered the election generally transparent and competitive, despite some irregularities. Atambayev's election marked the first peaceful transfer of power in the country's 20-year history. The current three-party majority...