ote - also called
Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes
(1524-80) died

Constitution:

adopted 2 April 1976; note - subsequent revisions of the
Constitution placed the military under strict civilian control,
trimmed the powers of the president, and laid the groundwork for a
stable, pluralistic liberal democracy; as well, they allowed for the
privatization of nationalized firms and the government-owned
communications media

Legal system:

based on civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the
constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 9 March 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de
Sousa (since 12 March 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative
body to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 22 January 2006
(next to be held in January 2011); following legislative elections,
the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition
is usually appointed prime minister by the president
election results: Anibal CAVACO SILVA elected president; percent of
vote - Anibal CAVACO SILVA 50.6%, Manuel ALEGRE 20.7%, Mario Alberto
Nobre Lopes SOARES 14.3%, Jeronimo DE SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 February 2005 (next to be held in Fall 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%,
CDU 7.6%, CDS/PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%, other 4.9%; seats by party - PS 121,
PSD 75, CDU 14, CDS/PP 12, BE 8

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for
life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic and Social Center/Popular Party or CDS/PP [Paulo PORTAS];
Green Ecologist Party (The Greens) or PEV [leadership commission
elected by members]; Portuguese Communist Party or PCP [Jeronimo DE
SOUSA]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho
Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Part