ber 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Constitution: 1920, revised 1929 (reinstated 1945)

Legal system: civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of
legislative acts by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and
civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955)

Executive branch: president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung)
consists of an upper council or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower council
or National Council (Nationalrat)

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil
and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for
bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for
constitutional cases

Leaders:
Chief of State--President Kurt WALDHEIM (since 8 July 1986);

Head of Government--Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986);
Vice Chancellor Josef RIEGLER (since 19 May 1989)

Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party of Austria (SPO),
Franz Vranitzky, chairman; Austrian People's Party (OVP), Josef
Riegler, chairman; Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), Jorg Haider,
chairman; Communist Party (KPO), Franz Muhri, chairman; Green
Alternative List (GAL), Andreas Wabl, chairman

Suffrage: universal at age 19; compulsory for presidential elections

Elections:
President--last held 8 June 1986 (next to be held May 1992);
results of Second Ballot--Dr. Kurt Waldheim 53.89%, Dr. Kurt Steyrer
46.11%;

Federal Council--last held 23 November 1986 (next to be
held November 1990);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(63 total) OVP 32, SPO 30, FPO 1;

National Council--last held 23 November 1986 (next to be
held November 1990);
results--SP0 43.1%, OVP 41.3%, FPO 9.7%, GAL 4.8%, KPO 0.7%,
other 0.32%;
seats--(183 total) SP0 80, OVP 77, FP0 18, GAL 8

Communists: membership 15,000 est.; activists 7,000-8,000

Other political or pressure groups: Federal Chamber of Commerce and
Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist); three
composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) representing
business, labor, and farmers; OVP-oriented League of Austrian
Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization,
Catholic Action

Member of: ADB, Council of Europe, CCC, DAC, ECE, EFTA, ESA,
FAO, GATT, I