Bundestag

In the politics of Germany, legislative branch, the Bundestag (federal assembly) is the lower house of the bicameral federal parliament. The upper house is called Bundesrat.

The Bundestag has 656 seats usually, but 669 for the 1998 term; elected by popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain representation. Members serve four-year terms.

See the parliament's own website, http://www.bundestag.de/

Election results: Federal Assembly

 percent of vote by party:	Seats:

 SPD                    40.9%	298
 Bündnis '90/Grünen      6.7%	47
 CDU/CSU                35.1%	245
 FDP                     6.2%	43
 PDS                     5.1%	36

Since the mid 1990s, the Bundestag meets in the old building of the Reichstag in Berlin.