National holiday:
US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day,
25 July (1952)
Constitution:
ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952,
effective 25 July 1952
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of
justice
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do
not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001)
head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January
2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the
legislature
elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US
president and vice president; governor elected by popular vote for a
four-year term (no term limits); election last held 2 November 2004
(next to be held November 2008)
election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor;
percent of vote - 48.4%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27
seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held
November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004
(next to be held November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD
40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%,
PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1
note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner
to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US
House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor,
he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last
held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); Luis FORTUNO
elected resident commissioner; results - percent of vote by party -
PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of
two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for
all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the
Senate)
Political parties and leaders:
National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National Republican
Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP
(pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD
(pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence
Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as
Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered
dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National
Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers
of the Puerto Rican Revolution
International organization participation:
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate)