s 6;
subsequent to the election there have been some changes in the
distribution of seats in the Legislative Yuan due to new party
formation and party defections, the new distribution is as follows -
KMT 114, DPP 66, PFP 17, NP 9, other/independent 19; 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; note - beginning in 2003,
justices will be appointed by the president with the consent of the
Legislative Yuan)

Political parties and leaders: Chinese New Party or CNP [HAU
Lang-bin]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Frank HSIEH,
chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan,
chairman]; New Party or NP [LI Ching-hwa]; People First Party or PFP
[James SOONG, chairman]; other minor 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; a broad popular consensus has developed
that Taiwan currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever
the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence - that
Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan
independence oppose the 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,
ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; unofficial commercial and
cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through
a private instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei
and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; unofficial commercial
and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained