Opposition parties operate freely. Women hold some high-level positions in the Government formed after the May general elections. The law requires that 33 percent of the candidates on the ballot in the next general election, to be held no later than 1999, be women. The existence of communities speaking Dutch, French, and German engenders significant complexities for the State. All major institutions, including political parties, are divided along linguistic lines.
National decisions take into account the specific needs of each regional and linguistic group.
Each regional parliament elects from among its members a regional government, including a regional prime minister. Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights Numerous human rights groups operate without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. Government officials are very cooperative and responsive to their views. The law prohibits discrimination based on the listed factors, and the Government enforces it. With Dutch, French, and German as official languages, Belgium has a complex linguistic regime, including language requirements for various elected and appointed positions.