, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's
Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

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 200,000 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 HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of seven non-official members
and 14 official members
elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to
second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member election committee
dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation accepted 12 March 2005;
Donald TSANG acted as chief executive between 12 March 2005 and 25
May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief executive between 25 May 2005
and 24 June 2005; last election 16 June 2005 to fill final two years
of TUNG's term (next to be held in June 2007)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004 30 seats
indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by
popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September
2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group
62%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10,
independents 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11,
Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1; other 1

Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders:
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL
[Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN
Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong or
DAB [MA Lik, chairman]; Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat, chairman];
Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Liberal Party
[James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood, Democratic Party, Frontier Party;
pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment o