At stake in this election:

• 17 seats in the Gibraltar Parliament

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II *
• Head of Government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA
• Assembly: Gibraltar has a unicameral Gibraltar Parliament with 18 seats.

* The Queen is represented by Governor Vice Admiral Sir Adrian JOHNS since October 2009.

Description of electoral system:

• The Queen is the hereditary head of state.
• The Chief Minister is appointed by the governor-general.
• In the Gibraltar Parliament, 15 members are elected by block vote to serve 4-year terms, 2 members are reserved ex officio to serve 4-year terms and 1 members are appointed for the Speaker to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD)
  • Leader: Peter CARUANA
  • Seats won in this election: 7
• Party: Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP)
  • Leader: Fabian PICARDO
  • Seats won in this election: 7
• Party: Gibraltar Liberal Party (GLP)
  • Leader: Joseph GARCIA
  • Seats won in this election: 3

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 28,956 (July 2011 est.)
• Registered Voters: 26,673 ( 2011 Approx)