National holiday: National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of
the Chinese Revolution)
Constitution: 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, and 1997
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President LEE Teng-hui (succeeded to the presidency
following the death of President CHIANG Ching-kuo 13 January 1988,
elected by the National Assembly 21 March 1990, elected by popular
vote in the first-ever direct elections for president 23 March
1996); Vice President LIEN Chan (since 20 May 1996)
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan)
Vincent SIEW (since 1 September 1997) and Vice Premier (Vice
President of the Executive Yuan) LIU Chao-shiuan (since 10 December
1997)
cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 23 March
1996 (next to be held NA 2000); premier appointed by the president;
vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the premier
election results: LEE Teng-hui elected president; percent of
vote—LEE Teng-hui 54%, PENG Ming-min 21%, LIN Yang-kang 15%, and
CHEN Li-an 10%
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats—168
elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion
of nationwide votes received by participating political parties,
eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of
the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating
political parties, eight elected by popular vote among the
aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and
unicameral National Assembly (334 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Legislative Yuan—last held 5 December 1998 (next to be
held NA December 2001); National Assembly—last held 23 March 1996
(next to be held NA 2000)
election results: Legislative Yuan—percent of vote by party—KMT 46%,
DPP 29%, CNP 7%, independents 10%, other parties 8%; seats by
party—KMT 123, DPP 70, CNP 11, independents 15, other parties 6;
National Assembly—percent of vote by party—KMT 55%, DPP 30%, CNP
14%, other 1%; seats by party—KMT 183, DPP 99, CNP 46, other 6
Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan, justices appointed by the
president with the consent of the National Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist
parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: Taiwan independence movement, various business and environmental groups note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on the island's national identity; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the ruling party's traditional stand that the island will eventually reunify with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for Taiwan Nation Building
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC,
IOC, WCL, WTrO (applicant)