ctober 1910 (independent
republic proclaimed)

National holiday:
Portugal Day (Day of Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also called
Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes
(1524-80) died

Constitution:
25 April 1976; revised many times

Legal system:
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 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 February 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%,
CDU 7.6%, PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%; seats by party - PS 121, PSD 75, CDU 14,
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:
Green Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa Augusta Baiao de Brito
APOLONIA]; Popular Party or PP [Jose Ribeiro e CASTRO]; Portuguese
Communist Party or PCP [Jeronimo DE SOUSA]; Portuguese Socialist
Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD [Luis Manuel Goncalves Marques MENDES]; The
Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]; Unitarian Democratic
Coalition or CDU (includes PEV and PCP) [Jeronimo DE SOUSA]

Political pressure groups an