COUNTRY	Kingdom of Belgium
ELECTION TYPE	Parliamentary
DATE	May 18, 2003

• 40 seats in the Senate (Senaat or Senat) and 150 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (Volksvertegenwoordigers or Chambre des Representants)

• Chief of State: King ALBERT II
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT
• Assembly: Belgium has a bicameral parliament made up of the Senate (Senaat or Senat) which consists of 71 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Volksvertegenwoordigers or Chambre des Representants) with 150 seats.

• Out of the 71 seats in the Senate, 40 members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation while the remaining 31 seats are chosen indirectly.
• Members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation.
• Members in both houses serve a four-year term.

• Party: Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD)
  Leader: Karel DE GUCHT
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies): 25
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 23
  Seats won in this election (Senate):7
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 6
  
  

*Note: Used to be the Christian People’s Party (CVP)

• Party: Socialist Party - Walloon (PS)
  Leader: Elio DI RUPO
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies):25
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 19
  Seats won in this election (Senate):6
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 4
  
  
• Party: Christian Democrats and Flemish (CD&V)*
  Leader: Stefaan DE CLERCK
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies): 21
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 22
  Seats won in this election (Senate): 6
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 6
  
  
• Party: Reform Movement (MR)**
  Leader: Daniel DUCARME
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies):24
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 18
  Seats won in this election (Senate):5
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 5
  
  

**Note: The Reform Movement consists of the Liberal Reformist Party (PRL), Party for Freedom and Progress (PFF), Democratic Front of Francophones (FDF) and Citizen's Movement For Change (MCC).

• Party: Social Progressive Alternative Party (SPA)***
  Leader: Steve STEVAERT
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies):23
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 14
  Seats won in this election (Senate):7
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 4
  
  

***Note: Used to be the Flemish Socialist Party (SP). Currently in coalition with the Spirit party.

• Party: Flemish Block (VL-BLOK)
  Leader: Frank VANHECKE
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies): 18
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 15
  Seats won in this election (Senate): 5
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 4
  
  
• Party: Democratic and Humanist Center (CDH)****
  Leader: Joelle MILQUET
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies):8
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 10
  Seats won in this election (Senate):2
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 3
  
  

****Note: Used to be called the Christian Social Party

• Party: The Greens/Ecologist (Francophone) (ECOLO)
  Leader: NA
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies): 4
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 11
  Seats won in this election (Senate): 1
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 3
  
  

• Party: New Flemish Alliance (N-VA)
  Leader: Geert BOURGEOIS
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies):1
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 0
  Seats won in this election (Senate):0
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 0
  
  
• Party: Ecologist (Flemish) (AGALEV)
  Leader: Jos GEYSELS
  Seats won in this election (Chamber of Deputies): 0
  Seats won in last election (Chamber of Deputies): 9
  Seats won in this election (Senate): 0
  Seats won in last election (Senate): 3
  
  

• Last parliamentary election was held on June 13, 1999.

• Population: 10,274,595 (July 2002 estimate)
• Number of registered voters: 7,336,308 (Based on the 1999 parliamentary elections)

• Under the electoral law, parties are required to pass the 5% threshold in the electoral districts in order to attain representation in parliament. Due to the presence of the major political parties in the upcoming polls, there is a concern whether the minor parties will be able to secure representation within the assembly.
• This would be the first time Belgians living abroad can exercise more of their right to vote in the upcoming polls. Compared to the 1999 elections, only 18 Belgian expatriates registered to vote. Currently 130,000 have registered to participate.
• Both the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and Spirit (which is in coalition with the Social Progressive Alternative Party or SPA) were derived from the former Flemish party Volksunie.