pened 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

*Taiwan, Government

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Elections:
President:
last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - President
LI Teng-hui was reelected by the National Assembly
Vice President:
last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - LI
Yuan-zu was elected by the National Assembly
Legislative Yuan:
last held 19 December 1992 (next to be held near the end of 1995); results -
KMT 60%, DPP 31%, independents 9%; seats - (304 total, 161 elected) KMT 96,
DPP 50, independents 15
National Assembly:
first National Assembly elected in November 1946 with a supplementary
election in December 1986; second and present National Assembly elected in
December 1991; seats - 403 total, KMT 318, DPP 75, other 10; (next election
to be held in 1997)
Executive branch:
president, vice president, premier of the Executive Yuan, vice premier of
the Executive Yuan, Executive Yuan
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Yuan and unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President LI Teng-hui (since 13 January 1988); Vice President LI Yuan-zu
(since 20 May 1990)
Head of Government:
Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN Chan (since 23 February
1993); Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh (since
23 February 1993)
Member of:
expelled from UN General Assembly and Security Council on 25 October 1971
and withdrew on same date from other charter-designated subsidiary organs;
expelled from IMF/World Bank group April/May 1980; seeking to join GATT;
attempting to retain membership in INTELSAT; suspended from IAEA in 1972,
but still allows IAEA controls over extensive atomic development, APEC,
AsDB, ICC, ICFTU, IOC
Diplomatic representation in US:
none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US
are maintained