Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Executive branch: chief of state: President of China JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) head of government: Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex-officio members and 10 appointed members; ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Anson CHAN (since 29 November 1993), Financial Secretary Donald TSANG (since 7 March 1995), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997) elections: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 20 elected by popular vote, and 10 elected by an 800-member election committee; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 May 1998 (early elections scheduled to be held in September 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 13, Liberal Party 9, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 9, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 5, Frontier Party 3, Citizens Party 1, independents 20
Judicial branch: The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders: Association for Democracy and People's
Livelihood ; Citizens Party
; Democratic Alliance for the
Betterment of Hong Kong ; Democratic
Party ; Frontier Party [Emily LAU
Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU
Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party,
Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment
of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party
Political pressure groups and leaders: Chinese General Chamber of
Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong;
Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy) [LEE Cheuk-yan,
chairman]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade
Unions (pro-China) ; Hong Kong Alliance in
Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH,
chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan);
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional
Teachers' Union ; Liberal Democratic
Federation
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICFTU, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General Richard A. BOUCHER consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30, FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: 2523-9011 FAX: 2845-1598