: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN
Chan (since 23 February 1993) and Vice Premier (Vice President of
the Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh (since 23 February 1993) were
appointed by the president; note - LIEN Chan will continue to serve
as premier until 20 May 1996 when he will be inaugurated as vice
president; a new premier is expected to be appointed sometime in May
1996
cabinet: Executive Yuan was appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan and unicameral
National Assembly
Legislative Yuan: elections last held 2 December 1995 (next to be
held NA December 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats
- (164 total) KMT 85, DPP 54, CNP 21, independents 4; note - since
the election, there has been a change in the distribution of seats -
KMT 83, DPP 54, CNP 21, independents 6
National Assembly: elections last held 23 March 1996 (next to be
held NA 2000); results - KMT 55%, DPP 30%, CNP 14%, other 1%; seats
- (334 total) KMT 183, DPP 99, CNP 46, other 6

Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan, justices nominated and appointed
for nine-year terms by the president

Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist
Party), LI Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP),
leader NA; Chinese New Party (CNP), leader NA; Labor Party (LP),
leader NA

Other political or pressure groups: Taiwan independence movement,
various 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 the opposition Democratic
Progressive Party in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate
on the island's national identity; advocates of Taiwan independence,
both within the DPP and the ruling Kuomintang, oppose the ruling
party's traditional stand that the island will eventually unify with
mainland China; the aims 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,
IOC, WCL, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in US: none; unofficial commercial and
cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained