National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989
Legal system: based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Eduardo FREI
Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994) elected for a four-year term by
popular vote; election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held
NA December 1997); results - Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (PDC) 58%,
Arturo ALESSANDRI 24.4%, other 17.6%
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) Senate (Senado): election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total, 38 elected) Coalition of Parties for Democracy 21 (PDC 13, PS 4, PPD 3, PR 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 15 (RN 11, UDI 3, UCC 1), right-wing independents 10 Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - Coalition of Parties for Democracy 53.95% (PDC 27.16%, PS 12.01%, PPD 11.82%, PR 2.96%), Union for the Progress of Chile 30.57% (RN 15.25%, UDI 12.13%, UCC 3.19%); seats - (120 total) Coalition of Parties for Democracy 70 (PDC 37, PPD 15, PR 2, PS 15, left-wing independent 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 47 (RN 30, UDI 15, UCC 2), right-wing independents 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are appointed by the president, the president of the Supreme Court is elected by the 17-member court
Political parties and leaders: Coalition of Parties for Democracy
(CPD) consists mainly of: Christian Democratic Party (PDC),
Alejandro FOXLEY; Socialist Party (PS), Camilo ESCALONA; Party for
Democracy (PPD), Jorge SCHAULSOHN, Radical Party (PR); Union for the
Progress of Chile (UPP) consists mainly of three parties: National
Renewal (RN), Andres ALLAMAND; Independent Democratic Union (UDI),
Jovino NOVOA; Center Center Union (UCCP), Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ
Other political or pressure groups: revitalized university student
federations at all major universities; labor - United Labor Central
(CUT) includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor
confederations; Roman Catholic Church
International organization participation: APEC, CCC, ECLAC, FAO,
G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate member), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA,
RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO