ne (special administrative region of China)

National holiday: National Day, 1-2 October; note - 1 July 1997 is
celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment
Day

Constitution: Basic Law 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 100,000 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 JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993)
head of government: Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex-officio members and 10
appointed members; ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Anson CHAN
(since 29 November 1993), Financial Secretary Donald TSANG (since 7
March 1995), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997)
elections: NA

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats;
30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 20 elected by
popular vote, and 10 elected by an 800-member election committee;
members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 May 1998 (early elections scheduled to be held
in September 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Democratic Party 13, Liberal Party 9, Democratic Alliance for the
Betterment of Hong Kong 9, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 5, Frontier
Party 3, Citizens Party 1, independents 20

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

Political parties and leaders: Association for Democracy and People's
Livelihood ; Citizens Party
; Democratic Alliance for the
Betterment of Hong Kong ; Democratic
Party ; Frontier Party [Emily LAU
Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU
Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party,
Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment
of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party

Political pressure groups and leaders: Chinese General Chamber of
Commerce (pro-C