At stake in this election:

• 150 seats in the Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Queen BEATRIX *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Wim KOK
• Assembly: Netherlands has a bicameral States General (Staten Generaal) consisting of the First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) with 75 seats and the Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer) with 150 seats.

* The Netherlands is a Constitutional Monarchy.

Description of electoral system:

• The Queen is hereditary N/A.
• In the First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) 75 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 4-year terms*. In the Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer) 150 members are elected by direct popular vote.

* 75 members of the First Chamber are elected by indirect vote by provincial councils to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA)
  • Leader: Jan Peter BALKENENDE
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: 29
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 43
• Party: Pim Fortuyn List (LPF)**
  • Leader: Pim FORTUYN
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: N/A
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 26
• Party: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD)
  • Leader: Hans F. DIJKSTAL
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: 38
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 24
• Party: Labor Party (PvdA)
  • Leader: Wim KOK
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: 45
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 23
• Party: Green Left (GL)
  • Leader: Paul ROSENMÖLLER
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: 11
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 10
• Party: Democrats 66 (D66)
  • Leader: Thom DE GRAAF
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: 14
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 7
• Party: Socialist Party (SP)
  • Leader: Jan MARIJNISSEN
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: 5
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 9
• Party: Christian Union Party (CU)
  • Leader: Kars VELING
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: 5
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 4
• Party: Political Reformed Party (SGP)
  • Bas VAN DER VLIES
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: 3
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 2
• Party: Liveable Netherlands (LN)
  • Leader: Fred TEEVEN
  • Seats won in last Second Chamber election: N/A
  • Seats won in this Second Chamber election: 2

**Pim FORTUYN was assassinated on May 6. Mat HERBEN was chosen as the new party leader after the election.

Population and registered voters:

• Population: 16,148,929 (2002)
• Registered voters: 12,035,935 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 8,158,984 (2002)

·         Is Netherlands a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Netherlands ratified CEDAW: Yes (23 July 1991)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 51 (Second Chamber) following the 2002 elections; 20 (First Chamber) following the 1999 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 5 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Netherlands a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Netherlands ratified CRPD: Yes (14 June 2016)

·         Population with a disability: 2,422,339 (est.)