ecember 1978

Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22
November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch,
born 30 January 1968

head of government: President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR
Lopez (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President Juan Jose LUCAS
(since 28 February 2000) and Second Vice President (and Minister of
Economy) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 5 May 1996)

cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president

note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
consultative organ of the government

elections: the monarch is hereditary; president proposed by the
monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative
elections; election last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA
March 2004); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on proposal of
the president

election results: Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (PP) elected president;
percent of National Assembly vote - 44%

Legislative branch: bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly
or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats
- 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51
appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and
the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats;
members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional
representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA
March 2004); Congress of Deputies - last held 12 March 2000 (next to
be held NA March 2004)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - PP 127, PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1; Congress of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%, CiU 4.2%,
IU 5.4%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1%, BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183, PSOE
125, CiU 15, IU 8, PNV 7, CC 4, BNG 3, other 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo

Political parties and leaders: Basque Nationalist Party or PNV
[Xabier ARZALLUS Antia]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of
five parties) [Paulino RIVERO]; Convergence and Union or CiU [Jordi
PUJOL i Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic
Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Jordi PUJOL i Soley] and the
Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni