National holiday: Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty)
Constitution: no formal, written constitution; consists of various
documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand
Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1
January 1987, but has not been enacted
Legal system: based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Michael HARDIE BOYS (since 21 March 1996) head of government: Prime Minister James BOLGER (since 29 October 1990) and Deputy Prime Minister Winston PETERS (since 16 December 1996) cabinet : Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general note: the government is a coalition of the National Party and the New Zealand First Party
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 12 October 1996 (next must be called by October 1999) election results : percent of vote by party - NP 34.1%, NZLP 28.3%, NZFP 13.1%, Alliance 10.1%, ACT 6.17%, UNZ 0.91%; seats by party - NP 44, NZLP 37, NZFP 17, Alliance 13, ACT 8, UNZ 1
Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: National Party (NP), James BOLGER; New
Zealand First Party (NZFP), Winston PETERS; New Zealand Labor Party
(NZLP, opposition), Helen CLARK; Alliance, Jim ANDERTON; Democratic
Party, John WRIGHT; New Zealand Liberal Party, Frank GROVER; Green
Party, Jeanette FITZSIMONS and Rod DONALD; Mana Motuhake, Sandra LEE;
United New Zealand (UNZ), Clive MATTHEWSON; Conservative Party
(formerly Right of Centre Party), Trevor ROGERS; Association of
Consumers and Taxpayers, New Zealand (ACT), Richard PREBBLE; Christian
Democrats, Graeme LEE; Christian Heritage Party (CH), Rev. Graham
CAPILL
International organization participation: ANZUS (US suspended security
obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, C,
CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), OECD, PCA, Sparteca,
SPC, SPF, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNTAES,
UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel John WOOD chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone : [1] (202) 328-4800 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York