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May 2000
chief of state: President LEE Teng-hui (succeeded to the presidency
following the death of President CHIANG Ching-kuo 13 January 1988,
elected by the National Assembly 21 March 1990, elected by popular
vote in the first-ever direct elections for president 23 March 1996);
Vice President LIEN Chan (since 20 May 1996)
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) Vincent
SIEW (since 1 September 1997) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the
Executive Yuan) LIU Chao-shiuan (since 10 December 1997)
cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 18 March 2000
(next to be held NA March 2004); premier appointed by the president;
vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the
premier
election results: CHEN Shui-bian elected president; percent of vote -
CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 39.3%, James SOONG (independent) 36.84%, LIEN
Chan (KMT) 23.1%, HSU Hsin-liang (independent) .63%, LEE Ao (CNP) .13%

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168
elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of
nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight
elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the
proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political
parties, eight elected by popular vote among the aboriginal
populations; members serve three-year terms) and unicameral National
Assembly (334 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 5 December 1998 (next to be
held NA December 2001); National Assembly - last held 23 March 1996
(next to be held NA 2000)
election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT
46%, DPP 29%, CNP 7%, independents 10%, other parties 8%; seats by
party - KMT 123, DPP 70, CNP 11, independents 15, other parties 6;
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - KMT 55%, DPP 30%, CNP
14%, other 1%; seats by party - KMT 183, DPP 99, CNP 46, other 6

Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan, justices appointed by the president
with the consent of the National Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Chinese New Party or CNP [CHOU
Yang-sun]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [LIN Yi-hsiung,
chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, acting
chairman]; Taiwan Independence Party or T