Constitution: 17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau; Macau's future constitution, the "Basic Law", promulgated by China's National People's Congress on 31 March 1993, will go into effect 20 December 1999
Legal system: Portuguese civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President of Portugal Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) head of government: Governor General Vasco Joachim Rocha VIERA (since 20 March 1991) cabinet: Consultative Council consists of a total of 15 members-five appointed by the governor, two nominated by the governor, five elected for a four-year term (two represent administrative bodies, one represents moral, cultural, and welfare interests, and two represent economic interests), and three statutory members elections: none; governor general appointed by the president of Portugal after consultation with the Legislative Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (23 seats; 8 elected by popular vote, 8 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the governor; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, consisting of five magistrates including the president; lower court judges appointed for three-year terms by the governor
Political parties and leaders: Association to Defend the Interests of
Macau, leader NA; Macau Democratic Center, leader NA; Group to Study
the Development of Macau, leader NA; Macau Independent Group, leader
NA
Political pressure groups and leaders: wealthy Macanese and Chinese representing local interests, wealthy procommunist merchants representing China's interests; in January 1967 the Macau Government acceded to Chinese demands that gave China veto power over administration
International organization participation: CCC, ESCAP (associate), IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), UNESCO (associate), WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (Chinese territory under
Portuguese administration)